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1918 


AND  Their  Use 

VANbERWALKER 

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Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2017  with  funding  from 
Getty  Research  Institute 


https://archive.org/details/newstencilstheirOOvand_0 


New  Stencils  and 
Their  Use 

A Practical  Working  Method  for  the 
Average  Painter  and  Decorator 


By 


F.  N.  VANDERWALKER 


Graduate  in  Commerce,  Northwestern  University 
Author  of  “Estimates,  Costs  and  Profits,  House  Painting 
and  Interior  Decorating,”  “Automobile  Painting,”  Etc. 


ILLUSTRATED 


CHICAGO 

FREDERICK  J.  DRAKE  & CO. 

Publishers 


Copyright,  1918,  by 
Frederick  J.  Drake  & Co.,  Chicago 


Printed  in  U.  S.  A, 


PREFACE 


In  offering  this  work  it  is  the  author’s  hope  that  the 
organized,  orderly  presentation  of  the  essentials  of  good 
stencil  work  will  assist  in  solving  the  problems  of  furnish- 
ing better  decoration  for  the  average  moderate-cost  home, 
the  average  church,  lodge  hall,  and  small  theater.  That 
is  an  important  field.  The  number  of  such  jobs  far  ex- 
ceeds that  of  the  more  expensive  homes  and  finer  public 
buildings. 

Likewise  it  is  expected  that  the  subject  matter  and  il- 
lustrations presented  here  will  be  of  more  service  to  the 
average  painter  and  decorator  than  to  professionals. 

To  keep  the  text  matter  well  within  the  form  of  a 
practical  working  method,  it  has  not  been  permitted  to 
become  too  technical  nor  yet  too  artistic.  To  produce 
a work  for  the  use  of  painters  without  experience  in  this 
line,  and  those  who  have  little  experience,  was  the  ac- 
complishment sought. 


The  Author. 


CONTENTS 


Chapter  I 

The  Value,  Use,  and  Abuse  of  STE:>iciL  Decoration 


PAGE 

, . 9 


Chapter  II 

Classification  and  Selection  of  Stencils 15 

Chapter  III 

Stencil  Making  : — Designing — Conventionalizing — Materials 

— Tools — Drawing  the  Design — Enlarging  or  Reducing  Size — 
Guide  Marks  and  Keys — Locating  Ties — Cutting — Relief 
Stencils  33 


Chapter  IV 

Colors  and  Color  Harmony: — Decorators’  Oil  Colors — Perma- 
nence of  Colors — Color  Schemes — Color  Formulae 57 

Chapter  V 

Working  Operations: — When  to  Transfer  Stencils — Laying 
Out  and  Spi  cing — How  to  Transfer  the  Stencil — The  Stencil 
Brush — Mixing  Stencil  Colors — To  Stencil  on  Calcimine — To 
Stencil  on  Paper — To  Stencil  with  Metal  Bronzes  and  Leaf — 
Turning  Corners — Touching  Up  Ties — Filling  in  Colors  on 
Outline  Stencils — Wiping  Out  and  Shading — Where  to  Use 
Stencils  to  Apparently  Change  the  Size  of  the  Room 84 

Chapter  VI 

Some  Good  Jobs  Illustrated: — A Picture  Theater  Ceiling — A 
Photograph  Studio — Some  Panel  Suggestions Ill 


8 


CONTENTS 


Chapter  VII 

PAGE 

C'eiling,  Floor,  and  Fabric  Stenciling 126 

Chapter  VIII 

Lining  and  Striping: — Tools  and  Materials — Laying  Out  the 
Lines — Holding  the  Brush 139 

Index  145 


New  Stencils  and  Their  Use 


CHAPTER  I 

THE  VALUE,  USE  AND  ABUSE  OF  STENCIL  DECOEATION 

The  possibilities  for  artistic,  inexpensive  decoration  by 
means  of  carefully  colored  stencils  are  great ; and  wher- 
ever exact  and  constant  repetition  of  a pattern  is  wanted, 
the  stencil  is  the  practical,  economical  means. 

Stenciled  ornament  is  not  a passing  fancy,  but  an 
established  mode  of  decorating  that  comes  within  the 
ability  of  painters  who  are  ordinarily  skillful  with  brush 
and  color.  In  the  design,  color,  and  placing  of  stencils 
the  decorator  and  house  owner  have  a wide  latitude  in 
which  to  exercise  individual  taste  and  to  put  together 
decorations  that  exactly  fit  any  particular  room  or  suite 
of  rooms.  It  is  really  surprising  to  note  the  variety  of 
beautiful  effects  that  can  easily  be  accomplished  with 
a little  study  and  practice  by  the  manipulation  of  de- 
signs, colors,  and  stencil  location.  They  may  be  adapted 
to  decorate  almost  every  room  in  a home,  as  well  as  pub- 
lic buildings,  in  excellent  taste.  In  recent  years  the  able 
handling  of  stencils  by  well-known  Chicago  and  New 
York  decorators  has  placed  this  class  of  work  easily 
among  the  fine  arts  of  this  country. 

Use  in  Home  Decoration. — Stencils  today  are  used 
in  home  decorations  chiefly  to  serve  one  of  two  purposes : 
First,  to  furnish  the  only  and  complete  decoration  or 
ornamentation  for  a room.  In  this  case  the  stencil  may  be 
quite  elaborate  and  colorful,  although  not  necessarily 

0 


10 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


1604 


1208  1209 

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1212 


Plate  1. — Formal  or  Classic  Designs  for  Stencils,  Including  Greek  Frets 
or  Greek  Key  Designs  (center). 


VALUE,  USE  AND  ABUSE  OF  STENCIL  DECORATION  11 

SO,  as  for  many  rooms  the  simple  treatment  is  most 
artistic,  even  when  they  lack  interesting  architectural 
features,  such  as  mouldings,  coves,  cornices,  and  rails. 
At  any  rate,  when  an  attempt  is  made  to  elaborate  the 
ornament  to  relieve  severely  plain,  uninteresting  wall 
spaces,  it  ought  never  to  be  permitted  to  become  gaudy 
and  showy  in  design  and  color,  producing  the  circus- 
wagon  and  dime-museum  effect. 

The  second  purpose  for  which  stencils  are  now  largely 
used  is  that  of  supplementing  architectural  ornament 
built  into  the  walls  and  ceilings — cornices,  mouldings, 
plaster  relief  ornaments,  and  the  like.  Under  these  cir- 
cumstances, stencils  ought  to  form  a treatment  in  design, 
size,  proportion,  and  color  which  will  be  incidental  and 
subordinate  to  the  architectural  ornament.  It  must  not 
even  pretend  to  compete  with  it  for  attention,  but  simply 
adds  the  needed  touch  of  color. 

When  in  doubt  as  to  how  extensive  a stencil  treat- 
ment ought  to  be  carried  by  any  room,  it  is  well  to  choose 
the  lesser  plan  every  time.  Too  much  ornament  does 
not  have  the  appearance  of  enrichment,  but  of  intemper- 
ance, of  being  overdone  and  even  vulgar.  No  ornament 
at  all  is  better  than  that. 

Use  in  Theaters  and  Stores. — ^Many  of  the  best  jobs 
of  stencil  decoration  in  the  theaters,  dance  halls,  cafes, 
and  city  shops  are  thought  by  most  people  and  some 
painters  to  be  freehand  art.  They  do  not,  perhaps,  note 
details  of  construction,  but  are  interested  only  in  the 
general  effect.  Artistic  these  jobs  certainly  are,  but  the 
means  of  production  were  mechanical ; namely,  the 
stencil,  lining  fitch,  and  straight-edge.  The  designing, 
planning,  and  making  of  specifications  for  these  examples 
of  fine  applied  art,  rather  than  the  execution  of  tiie  work, 
are  to  be  credited  for  their  success,  althougli  skill  in 
transferring  the  stencil  impressions,  in  filling  in  and 
wiping  out  the  colors,  is  vitally  important. 


12 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


604  805 


Plate  2. — Classic  Stencil  Designs,  Continued  : Roman  (top)  ; Renais- 
sance (center)  ; Moorish  (bottom). 


VALUE,  USE  AND  ABUSE  OF  STENCIL  DECORATION  13 


Plate  3. — Classic  Stencil  Designs,  Continued  : Arabian  (top)  ; Persian 
(center)  ; Egyptian  (bottom). 


14 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


Abuse  of  Stencils. — Now,  as  to  the  abuse  of  stenciled 
ornament  little  need  be  said.  All  have  seen  it.  The  care- 
less, shiftless  practices  of  some  painters  in  the  use  of 
stencils  have  done  much  toward  discrediting  one  of  the 
oldest  and  most  useful  arts. 

Before  the  days  of  wallpaper,  ‘‘diaper”  stencils  were 
much  used  to  produce  an  all-over  pattern  on  walls.  At 
the  same  time  quick,  cheap  work  was  done  in  distemper 
(water  color),  and  so  the  stencils  too  were  transferred 
with  water  color,  in  extravagant,  outlandish  colors. 

We  also  had  a violent  fling  at  unwise  stencil  use  in  the 
period  of  fresco  popularity,  when  most  unpardonable 
crimes  against  good  color  use  were  committed  in  whole- 
sale quantities.  Never  shall  we  outlive  the  memory  of 
the  vivid  greens,  brilliant  reds,  and  other  howling, 
screeching  colors  in  which  stencil  bands  were  carelessly 
painted  in  public  places  of  the  less  expensive  type. 

True,  there  has  been  much  really  beautiful  distemper 
decoration,  and  bad  stencil  and  color  use  has  occurred 
with  oil  colors  as  well  as  water  colors. 

Another  manner  in  which  the  artistic  possibilities  of 
stencil  decoration  have  not  been  realized,  is  through  in- 
judicious selection  of  designs.  It  is  difficult  to  under- 
stand why  anyone  could  select  a stencil  composed  of 
nothing  but  meaningless  scrolls,  dots,  dashes,  and  holes, 
without  balance,  proportion,  and  form,  when  there  are 
easily  within  reach  so  many  really  beautiful  classic  de- 
signs by  artists  of  other  times — patterns  which  are  in- 
terestingly symbolic  of  the  religions,  ethics,  ideals,  and 
accomplishments  of  nations  at  times  when  the  world  was 
more  artistic  than  now. 

We  have  today  also  the  choice  of  multitudes  of  patterns 
of  conventionalized  nature.  The  flowers,  leaves,  insects, 
and  birds  have  given  subjects  of  universal  interest,  and 
many  really  beautiful  stencil  designs  have  been  produced 
from  these  subjects. 


CHAPTER  II 

CLASSIFICATION  AND  SELECTION  OF  STENCILS 

Many  really  fine  stencil  designs  are  offered  to  the  paint 
trade.  There  are  some,  however,  which  are  crude  in  de- 
sign and  carelessly  cut.  As  between  good  designs  the 
necessity  of  selecting  appropriate  patterns  requires  your 
best  effort  in  an  attempt  to  choose  the  right  stencil,  both 
as  to  color  and  pattern,  for  each  room,  according  to  its 
architecture  and  the  purpose  for  which  that  room  is  used. 
It  is  not,  however,  necessary  to  be  an  authority  on  historic 
ornament,  or  an  artist  of  note,  to  use  stencils  artistically 
and  to  excellent  advantage. 

Briefiy,  choose  designs  that  are  simple  and  clear ; avoid 
complicated,  uncertain  figures.  Choose  designs  of  recog- 
nized artistic  merit,  rather  than  odd  scrolls,  squares  and 
circles  which  one  has  never  seen  nor  heard  of  before, 
and  may  never  again. 

Do  not  use  strong,  gaudy,  ragtime  patterns,  but  try 
to  select  such  as  produce  a refined,  artistic  effect  when 
carried  out  in  carefully  studied  colors.  Poorly  selected 
and  colored  stencils  make  a messy,  mussy  room. 

Classical  designs  are  artistic,  interesting  and  have 
stories  attached  to  them  known  more  or  less  to  everyone ; 
they  are  of  common  interest  to  all. 

Plates  1,  2,  3,  and  4 show  a few  classic  designs  which 
are  perhaps  typical  of  their  periods — the  Greek,  Roman, 
Renaissance,  Arabian,  Moorish,  Egyptian,  Persian,  and 
Gothic.  A study  of  these  is  worth  while,  as  a knowledge 
of  the  best  and  most  beautiful  of  other  times  is  the  only 
basis  for  good  judgment  of  what  is  good  and  bad  in 
present-day  designs.  Some  of  these  are  ordinary  one- 

15 


16 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


Plate  4. — Classic  Stencil  Designs,  continued : Gothic  (above)  and 
Oriental  (below). 


CLASSIFICATION  AND  SELECTION  OF  STENCILS 


17 


color  stencils  as  to  form;  some  are  outline  stencils,  and 
some  background  stencils.  Plates  35,  36,  37,  and  38 
show  many  attractive  modern  English,  French,  American 
and  Japanese  stencil  designs. 

Of  the  modern  stencils,  those  which  are  most  likely  to 
be  of  good  design  and  well  balanced  are^the  simple  motifs 
of  conventionalized  flowers,  leaves,  vines,  etc.  'When  you 
have  looked  over  the  patterns  shown  in  the  several  plates 
of  this  book,  you  will  readily  note  the  character  of  good 
designs. 

CLASSIFICATION 

Stencils  come  naturally  within  classes  known  as  Ordin- 
ary One-Color,  Background,  Outline,  and  Color  Stencils. 

Ordinary  One-Color  Stencils. — (Figure  1,  Plate  5.) 
This  class  includes  such  stencils  as  are  transferred  in  one 
operation,  and  all  are  familiar  with  them.  A one-color 
stencil  may  be  made  more  effective  by  using  different  col- 
ors, or  shades  of  one  color,  in  different  parts  of  it.  This 
requires  but  little  more  additional  time  in  its  execution. 
The  different  colors  must  be  put  in  with  different  brushes. 

Suppose  the  rose  design,  Plate  17,  is  to  be  transferred. 
A small  piece  of  paper  tipped  with  a spot  or  two  of 
mucilage  would  be  placed  over  the  flower  while  the  leaves 
and  stems  were  being  transferred  in  green.  Then  the 
paper  would  be  removed  from  the  flower  and  placed  over 
the  leaves  and  stems  while  the  flower  was  being  trans- 
ferred in  red. 

Background  Stencils. — (Figure  2,  Plate  5.)  Back- 
ground stencils  are  quite  similar  to  the  ordinary  one- 
color  kind,  except  that  in  place  of  cutting  out  the  design, 
as  in  Figure  1,  when  making  the  stencil  plate,  the  back- 
ground is  cut  out  and  transferred  to  the  wall  in  color. 
The  wall  color  shows  through  or  between  portions  of  the 
ground  color,  and  forms  the  pattern.  The  background, 
not  the  pattern,  is  transferred  to  the  wall  in  color. 


STENCIL  PLATE 


STENCIL  IMPRESSION 

Figure  1. 


STENCIL  PLATE 


STENCIL  IMPRESSION 

Figure  2. 

Plate  5. — One-Color  and  Background  Stencils. 


CLASSIFICATION  AND  SELECTION  OP  STENCILS  19 

Sometimes  a band  of  opaque  color  is  laid  on  to  the 
wall,  just  wide  enough  to  have  the  background  stencil 
cover  it ; this  colored  band  is  allowed  to  form  the  stencil 
pattern,  rather  than  have  the  wall  color  show  through. 
Moorish  and  other  Oriental  stencils  are  effectively  used 
in  this  manner  for  churches  and  lodge  halls. 

For  instance,  suppose  the  wall  to  be  stenciled  is  a 
light  warm  gray.  Mark  off  with  a pencil  and  straight- 
edge a band  of  six  or  eight  inches  wide  (exactly  the  same 
width  as  the  stencil  pattern),  parallel  to  and  below  the 
picture  mould  or  just  above  the  chair  rail.  Fill  in  the 
band  between  these  lines  solid  with  a fairly  bright  but 
soft  red  paint,  made  by  tinting  white  lead  with  American 
vermilion  and  a touch  of  chrome  yellow.  Or,  for  a semi- 
transparent red  band,  simply  use  the  American  vermilion 
alone,  fairly  thin.  When  this  band  of  paint  is  dry, 
transfer  the  stencil  impression  on  top  of  it,  using  perhaps 
ivory  white  paint  for  a good  effect.  A touch  of  ultra- 
marine  blue  on  the  center  figures  would  help  bring  out 
the  right  effect  for  this  Moorish  design. 

The  most  simple  use  of  these  stencils  is  to  transfer  them 
in  a darker  or  lighter  shade  of  the  wall  or  ceiling  color, 
as  the  case  may  be.  A background  stencil  transferred  in 
dull  blue  on  an  ivory  wall  or  band  of  color  makes  an  at- 
tractive color  scheme. 

Outline  Stencils. — (Figure  3,  Plate  6.)  As  the  name 
indicates,  this  outline  stencil  is  merely  a light  outline  of 
a design  that  is  transferred  usually  with  burnt  umber  or 
raw  sienna  to  the  wall,  so  as  to  form  a pattern  that  can  be 
filled  in  later  with  two  or  more  colors. 

In  Tiffany  wall  glazing,  the  outline  stencil  is  trans- 
ferred to  the  wall  when  the  second  ground  coat  has  be- 
come dry.  The  stencil  is  permitted  to  dry  before  your 
first  glaze  color  is  applied.  When  the  glaze  color  has  been 
blended  out,  wipe  all  color  from  within  the  lines  of  the 
stencil  before  it  becomes  dry.  Tlie  object  of  this  is  to 


20  NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 

have  the  flat  ground  coat  show  through  the  outline  stencil 
and  form  a light  uniform  surface  upon  which  to  All  in 
stencil  colors  when  the  glazing  coat  is  dry. 


NO  15  42  ■'  X 42" 


Figure  1. 


Figure  3. 

Plate  6. — Outline  Stencils. 


Often  outline  stencils  are  transferred  in  some  light, 
soft  color  (such  as  a light  but  dull  blue  on  an  ivory 
ground)  and  left  in  that  condition  as  finished.  No  other 
colors  are  filled  in. 

Tie-Less  Stencils. — (Plate  7.)  Double  stenciling  makes 
it  possible  to  transfer  practically  any  design  without 
showing  the  ties.  The  Greek  Key  shown  is  an  example 


CLASSIFICATION  AND  SELECTION  OF  STENCILS 


21 


Plate  7. — Greek-Key  Design  for  Double  Stenciling,  Using  Two  Plates  -o 
Make  the  Pattern  Tie-less. 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


of  a Stencil  that  cannot  be  transferred  with  one  plate 
without  showing  ties,  but  it  could  be  transferred  from 
one  plate  and  the  ties  painted  out  with  a small  fitch. 
Another  way  is  to  make  two  plates,  whicli  will  transfer 
the  design  complete  in  two  operations  and  without  show- 
ing ties. 


IMate  8. — Color  Stencils  for  Two-Color  Work.  O,  O,  in  Lower  Stencil, 
Are  Guide  Marks. 


AVitli  certain  stencils  that  have  many  figures,  or  com- 
])licated  patterns,  it  is  often  better  to  transfer  tliem  liy 
means  of  two  different  plates  than  to  attempt  to  make  the 
entire  design  on  one  plate,  thereby  causing  a great  many 
ties  and  producing  a frail  stencil  that  is  too  intricate  and 
delicate  to  withstand  the  transferring  process  more  than 
a few  times. 

Color  Stencils. — (Plate  8.)  These  should  not  be  con- 


CLASSIFICATION  AND  SELECTION  OF  STENCILS 


23 


fused  with  outline  stencils.  Both  kinds  produce  a finished 
design  in  colors.  The  outline  stencil,  Plate  6,  however, 
must  be  filled  in  freehand  with  colors,  using  small 
brushes,  while  the  color  stencil,  Plate  8,  is  transferred  in 
two  operations  from  two  plates,  using  a different  color 
and  stencil  brush  with  each  plate  to  be  transferred. 

Note  the  guide  marks  G,  G,  on  the  stencil  plate  for 
the  second  color.  They  consist  of  the  tip  of  the  lower  leaf 
on  the  right-hand  side  of  the  completed  design,  also  the 
tip  end  of  the  upper  leaf  in  the  upper  left-hand  corner. 
When  the  second  color  plate  is  placed  upon  the  surface 
(after  the  first  color  has  been  transferred  to  the  wall), 
these  ends  of  the  leaves  enable  the  decorator  to  place  the 
second  color  plate  in  exactly  the  right  location  to  bring 
the  balance  of  the  design  where  it  should  go  to  complete 
the  work.  When  these  guide  marks  or  holes  are  placed 
precisely  over  the  leaf  ends  of  which  they  are  a part, 
the  second  color  plate  must  of  necessity  register  perfectly 
with  the  part  of  the  design  placed  on  the  wall  by  the  first 
plate. 

Ordinary  one-color  stencils  are  often  used  for  two 
and  three-color  effects,  simply  by  transferring  all  colors 
at  each  setting  of  the  stencil.  A brush  for  each  color  is 
needed.  The  parts  to  be  colored  with  the  second  color  are 
covered  with  the  hand,  a piece  of  tin,  or  paper,  while  the 
first  color  is  being  put  on.  Then  the  first  color  is  covered 
while  the  second  color  is  being  applied. 

Sometimes  one  color  is  put  on  over  another  at  the  same 
setting  of  the  stencil ; that  is,  the  leaves  of  a flower  pat- 
tern, for  instance,  may  be  filled  in  with  light  green  all 
over  and  then  a darker  green  may  be  put  on  over  it  to 
the  lower  edge  or  base  of  the  leaf.  This  gives  a nice  effect. 

DIAPER  AND  ALL-OVER  STENCILS — ( PLATE  9) 

Time  was  when  the  all-over  pattern  stencils  were  mucli 
used  to  decorate  large  wall  areas.  They  are  used  oc- 


Plate  9. — Diaper  Stencil,  with  Wall  Prepared  for  All-Over  Stenciling, 
and  Work  Started  in  Lower  Corner. 


CLASSIFICATION  AND  SELECTION  OP  STENCILS 


25 


casionally  today  for  unusual  effects,  but  wall  paper  has 
largely  displaced  the  all-over  stencil  method,  because  it 
requires  much  less  labor.  Some  of  the  older  expert 
decorators  probably  will  never  agree  that  wallpaper 
decorates  as  well  as  the  all-over  stencil  in  the  hands 
of  skillful  men,  but  the  saving  of  labor  means  dollars 
saved  and  the  wallpaper  is  good  enough  for  most 
jobs. 

With  diaper  and  all-over  patterns  the  wall  must  first 
be  accurately  marked  off  into  squares,  circles,  hexagons, 
or  sections  with  diagonal,  parallel,  or  vertical  lines,  using 
chalk  lines,  according  to  the  shape  and  size  of  the  stencil. 

The  idea  is  simply  this:  You  cut  or  secure  a stencil, 
of  small  size  as  compared  to  the  wall — 10"xl5"  or 
10"x  20".  Then  mark  the  wall  off  into  sections  the 
same  size  and  shape  as  the  stencil.  The  stencil  impres- 
sion is  then  transferred  to  the  first  wall  section,  to  the 
second,  third,  and  so  on  until  the  whole  wall  is  completely 
covered  with  repeats  of  the  one  stencil. 

Plate  9 shows  a suitable  diaper  stencil,  also  a wall 
marked  off  with  chalk  lines  and  then  partly  filled  in  with 
a stencil  pattern. 

Usually  the  same  stencil  pattern  is  repeated  in  each 
section  until  the  whole  wall  is  covered,  but  sometimes 
two  different  stencils  and  patterns  are  used  alternately. 
Whatever  kind  of  all-overs  are  used,  extreme  care  is 
necessary  in  matching  accurately  and  joining  up  each 
setting  of  the  stencil  on  all  four  sides.  Also  the  amount 
of  color  on  the  brush  must  be  kept  constantly  the  same, 
to  produce  uniform  work. 

It  hardly  need  be  pointed  out  that  all-over  patterns  are 
usually  stenciled  in  a lighter  or  darker  shade  of  the 
same  color  as  the  wall  is  coated  with  ; a dark  cream  stencil 
on  a light  cream  wall,  a light  gray  stencil  on  a darker 
gray  wall, — thus  producing  harmony  of  color  by  analogy, 
or  likeness  of  related  colors.  Not  necessarily  so,  however. 


26 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


Harmony  by  contrast,  the  use  of  dilfereut  colors  which 
do  not  clash,  is  often  to  be  preferred. 

A light  olive  green  stencil,  such  as  the  one  shown  in 
Plate  9,  on  an  ivory  wall,  makes  a combination  which  is 
beautiful  beyond  imagination.  Likewise,  just  the  right 
shade  of  pink  for  the  light  pattern  spot  stencil,  Plate  10, 
on  a light,  warm  gray  wall,  is  indeed  attractive  for  a 
bedroom.  Decoration  produced  in  this  manner,  by  using 


Plate  10. — Spot  Stencil  Suitable  for  Bedroom  Decoration. 


light,  open,  spot  stencils  to  form  an  all-over  pattern,  is 
charming  to  a degree  impossible  to  be  equaled  by  wall- 
paper patterns  of  even  the  most  expensive  class.  Time 
was  when  the  large  figured  and  heavily  colored  patterns 
of  all-over  stencils  were  preferred,  but  nowadays  there 
can  be  no  doubt  that  the  light-lined,  airy,  and  delicately 
colored  stencils  are  much  preferred. 

Single-Spot  Patterns. — The  use  of  single-spot  stencil 
patterns  of  symmetrical  or  conventional  nature  designs 


CLASSIFICATION  AND  SELECTION  OP  STENCILS 


27 


i j 

l^86  ^ ^ 

1009 


.1^" 


^ 1290  ^ ^ 


/ 

^<\i  f(\ 


1267 


>K‘' t, 
1268 


1276 


«w 


1535 


hfi 


v^ 

1825 


no 


107 


648 1^^; 


84 


103 


98 

* a 


1^ 

115 


99 


.«x 


NC 


Plate  11. — Sitifjlo  Spot  Stencil  Patterns. 


28 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


offers  an  unlimited  field  for  skillful  decorating.  Plate 
11  illustrates  a few  such  designs.  The  surface,  after  be- 
ing ground-coated  and  finished  as  for  plain  colors,  would 
be  marked  off  in  squares,  rectangles  or  diamond  sections, 
as  in  Plate  9,  and  the  stencil  pattern  transferred  to  the 
wall  at  the  intersection  of  the  lines.  Not  necessarily  at 
every  intersection.  The  design  may  be  placed  at  every 
other  intersection,  or  every  third,  as  may  make  the  best 
appearance.  One  or  two  designs  may  be  used  (if  they 
look  well  together),  or  a single  design  may  be  repeated  to 
fill  the  whole  wall  space. 

Detached  Stencils. — These  really  do  not  form  a sep- 
arate class  of  designs.  The  term  refers  to  a little  different 
use  of  an  ordinary  stencil  motif,  or  it  may  be  a color 
stencil,  an  outline  or  background  stencil.  One  or  more 
separate  motifs,  such  as  are  shown  on  Plate  11,  are 
placed  in  the  corners  of  panels,  at  intervals  in  the  frieze, 
on  the  wall,  or  in  some  such  manner,  and  are  then  con- 
nected by  lines  or  band  stencils.  In  other  words  these  in- 
dividual designs  may  be  used  on  any  area  once,  or  re- 
peated many  times,  and  are  usually,  but  not  always,  con- 
nected with  narrow  lines  or  a running  pattern  of  stencil. 

Plates  10,  21,  26,  28  indicate  some  of  the  uses  made  of 
detached  designs.  After  some  experience  and  study  the 
decorator  finds  detached  designs  to  have  by  far  the  great- 
est use  of  all.  There  is  no  limit  to  the  ornamental  effects 
which  can  be  secured  with  them.  They  allow  much  lati- 
tude for  exercising  taste,  for  making  up  decorative 
schemes  which  just  fit  each  room,  and  for  producing 
special  effects. 


CHOOSING  A STENCIL  DESIGN 

Selecting  stencil  designs  which  are  appropriate  for  each 
room  to  be  decorated  is  fully  as  difficult  as  the  choice 
of  the  correct  color  effects,  and  is  not  less  important.  The 
lielp  which  others  can  give  you  to  insure  judicious  selec- 


CLASSIFICATION  AND  SELECTION  OP  STENCILS  29 

tion  is  also  about  as  indefinite  at  best  as  color  suggestions 
and  principles. 

To  be  able  to  choose  correct  and  tasteful  designs,  you 
ought  to  educate  yourself  to' know  the  various  orders  in 
architecture  and  the  style  of  ornament  which  was  char- 
acteristic of  each  period  of  art  history.  With  even  a 
superficial  knowledge  along  these  lines,  you  can  get  on 
very  well.  This  information  is  readily  to  be  found  in 
libraries,  art  institutes,  encyclopedias,  and  illustrated 
dictionaries. 

What  Not  to  Do. — Further  than  what  has  been  said 
and  suggested  in  other  chapters  about  selection  and  ap- 
propriateness of  stencils,  and  their  suitableness  to  the 
character  of  the  rooms  where  they  are  to  be  used,  a word 
about  what  not  to  do  may  help. 

In  a building  of  Oriental  architecture  use  Oriental 
ornament  in  stencils,  not  Gothic  or  some  other  order. 

Rose  or  other  flower  patterns  nicely  suit  some  bed- 
rooms and  sun  parlors,  but  are  ridiculously  out  of  place 
in  an  office  room. 

It  is  not  desirable  that  designs  of  fish,  game,  and  other 
edible  things  be  used  in  the  dining-room  just  because  that 
is  where  we  eat.  Neither  is  the  bathroom  the  place  for 
nude  figures  because  that  is  where  mortals  bathe.  The 
fish  and  game  patterns  may  be  interesting  indeed  in  the 
gunroom  of  a club  house. 

Appropriate  Designs. — The  living  room,  reception  hall, 
and  library  may  well  be  stenciled  with  a formal  classic 
design,  perhaps  some  of  those  shown  in  Plates  1,  2,  3, 
and  4. 

Nicely  colored,  conventional  flower  and  leaf  patterns 
are  pleasing  for  dining-rooms,  as  a rule.  Sometimes,  how- 
ever, the  character  of  the  furniture  and  the  architecture 
of  the  rooms  make  it  quite  obviously  necessary  to  use  a 
stenciled  design  of  like  character. 

Delicate,  fine-lined  stencil  patterns  fit  most  ap- 


30 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


Plate  12. — Stencil  Patterns  Appropriate  for  a Child’s  Bedroom  or 
Nursery. 


CLASSIFICATION  AND  SELECTION  OF  STENCILS 


31 


propriately  the  white  enamel,  ivory,  and  gray  painted 
woodwork  of  bedrooms  and  the  light,  natural  finished 
trim  of  other  rooms.  Rooms  with  mahogany  furnishings 
require  rather  light,  graceful  stencils. 

Where  the  furniture  is  heavy,  massive  oak  and  the 
rooms  quite  large  to  correspond,  the  stronger  and  bolder 
stencil  patterns  are  suitable. 

The  interesting  bird  figure  and  animal  stencils,  some 
of  which  are  shown  in  Plate  12,  nicely  fit  the  child ’s  bed- 


plate 13. — Candlestick  and  Steaming  Teapot  Designs  for  Bedroom  and 
Dining-room  Respectively. 


room  or  nursery  and  should  be  placed  in  a deep  frieze 
at  top  of  wall,  or  better  yet  in  panels  low  down,  the  height 
of  children.  The  steaming  teapot  design,  Plate  13,  car- 
ries out  a dining-room  scheme  well,  while  the  candlestick 
is  a pretty  pattern  for  almost  any  bedroom. 

Those  who  do  not  care  for  flower  designs  in  stencils 
usually  are  delighted  with  simple  classic  designs,  delicate- 
ly and  softly  colored  to  harmonize  with  the  wall  colors. 

The  Greek  frets,  or  key  designs,  in  all  their  variations, 
and  many  of  the  interesting  conventional  patterns  lend 


32 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


dignity  to  a hallway  and  are  in  good  taste  in  living-room, 
den,  library,  or  public  buildings. 

Form  and  Color. — Considering  the  el¥ect  of  stencils 
as  a whole,  both  color  and  form  have  their  influence. 
Whether  one  or  the  other  is  more  important  is  difficult 
to  say.  The  highly  developed  art  of  Greek  oivilization 
twenty  centuries  ago  believed  form  to  be  the  most  im- 
portant, and  developed  form  to  perfection,  to  the  ex- 
clusion almost  of  color.  The  Greeks  produced  only  a 
small  number  of  designs,  but  gave  their  entire  energies  to 
improving  the  few  to  the  point  of  perfection  in  form.  As 
a result  of  this  concentration,  their  designs  are  today 
standard,  widely  used  and  appreciated.  Other  less  per- 
fect art  has  been  forgotten  these  many  centuries. 

Form,  being  more  difficult  to  understand,  is  probably 
less  appreciated  by  most  people  of  today,  even  though  it 
may  be  more  important  than  color,  as  influencing  our 
enjoyment  of  artistic  design.  Certainly  it  is  true  that 
good  coloring  of  a stencil  will  be  appreciated  more  on 
mediocre  form  in  design  than  poor  coloring  of  perfect 
form.  This  is  due  to  the  fact  that  we  are  developing  more 
rapidly  in  the  art  of  color  than  in  form. 


The  following  is  a list  of  some  of  those  from  whom 
stencils  of  good  design  may  be  procured : 

H.  Roessing,  1314  Sedgwick  St.,  Chicago. 

Henry  Bosch  Co.,  52.5  S.  Wabash  Ave.,  Chicago. 

Geo.  E.  AVatson  Co.,  62  AV.  Lake  St.,  Chicago. 

The  Mayhew  Studios,  515  W.  29th  St.,  New  York,  N.  Y. 


CHAPTER  III 
STENCIL  MAKING 


A stencil  is  a design  or  pattern  cut  through  a thin 
sheet  of  paper,  zinc,  brass  or  some  other  flat  material,  for 
the  purpose  of  making  a tool  which  will  transfer  an  im- 
pression of  that  design  to  a surface  repeatedly.  Plates 
5,  6,  and  8 show  stencils  and  the  designs  formed  on  a 
surface  by  their  impressions. 

Designing. — Until  one  has  had  considerable  experience 
using  stencils  designed  by  others,  no  attempt  should  be 
made  to  compose  designs.  Excellent  stencils  can  be  se- 
cured conveniently  and  cheaply  from  paint  supply 
houses.  Until  much  experience  has  been  gained,  designs 
made  by  a novice  would  probably  look  amateurish  and 
crude. 

The  use  of  ready-made  stencils  is  discouraged  by  many 
decorators,  and  they  base  their  advice  on  sound  reasoning 
in  many  respects.  It  is  true  that  stock  designs  are  often 
used  unwisely  and  with  no  credit  to  art.  The  young 
decorator,  without  the  benefit  of  the  apprentice  system, 
which  is  lacking  today,  must  begin  somewhere,  however, 
and  surely  the  use  of  stock  designs  of  merit  is  to  be  pre- 
ferred to  the  kind  an  inexperienced  man  will  design  to 
begin  with. 

By  all  means  learn  to  design,  A special  set  of  stencils 
to  fit  each  job  in  size,  color,  and  character  of  pattern,  is 
the  way  to  produce  artistic  effects  and  at  the  same  time 
get  much  joy  out  of  one’s  accomplishments. 

To  design,  draw,  and  cut  a set  of  stencils  for  a job  is 
no  small  task,  but  rather  one  which  calls  for  good  judg- 
ment and  good  taste  in  color,  form,  and  balance ; also  a 

.‘i.3 


34 


NEW  STENXILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


sense  of  the  fitness  of  things.  Such  qualities  in  a dec- 
orator come  only  after  careful  study,  observation,  and 
practice ; these  constitute  experience. 

Until  you  have  worked  long  enough  as  a decorator  to 
have  gained  a fair  measure  of  experience,  use  the  best 
ready-made  designs  you  can  purchase;  but  use  them 
sparingly  and  see  that  they  fit  each  job  in  character. 
When  more  than  one  pattern  is  to  be  used,  have  them 
fit  each  other. 

Don’t  be  afraid  to  worry  about  the  suitableness  of 
selected  stencils.  When  you  worry  you  think  hard,  and 
when  you  do  that  you  are  likely  to  make  the  best  selec- 
tions. The  success  of  your  jobs  depends  on  your  plan- 
ning, upon  the  selection  of  designs,  not  so  much  on  the 
execution.  Any  good  journeyman  can  put  the  stencils 
on  under  clear  instructions. 

Knowing  how  to  make  stencils  is  valuable  chiefly  for 
the  purpose  of  combining  detached  motifs,  bands,  run- 
ners, and  solid  lines  so  as  to  form  a scheme  for  decorating 
a room.  There  are  times  when  two  or  more  good  designs 
can  be  combined  to  advantage,  when  they  go  well  to- 
gether. Sometimes  it  is  possible  also  to  use  certain  parts 
of  two  or  three  patterns  to  form  one  new  design. 

Points  to  Remember. — When  making  up  stencils  and 
schemes  for  decorating  keep  these  points  before  you : 

1.  All  parts  of  a stencil  and  of  a decorative  scheme 
of  lines  and  figures  must  balance  well.  A view  of  the 
whole  layout  should  show  that  neither  one  side  nor  the 
other,  nor  yet  the  top  or  the  bottom,  is  heavily  over- 
balanced by  too  strong  coloring  or  by  wide,  thick  mem- 
bers. Of  course  a prominent  figure  on  one  side  may  be 
balanced  by  a like  one  on  the  other.  A predominating 
central  feature  may  constitute  nearly  the  whole  stencil 
and  then  be  balanced  by  a like  feature  in  the  next  posi- 
tion or  setting  of  the  stencil. 

2.  Don’t  produce  a crowded  pattern,  but  don’t  have 


STENCIL  MAKING 


35 


the  detailed  features  too  few.  Blank  space  is  as  valuable 
and  necessary  as  figures. 

3.  Have  your  curved  lines  gracefully  curved  and 
positively  located. 

4.  Straight  lines,  squares,  rectangles,  circles,  and  all 
geometrical  figures  ought  to  be  carefully  measured  to 
locate  them.  Then  accurately  rule  in  and  cut.  It  will 
pay  to  spend  as  much  time  as  is  needed,  in  drawing  the 
first  stencil,  to  secure  minute  accuracy.  Then  keep  it  as 
a pattern  from  which  to  cut  other  stencils  to  be  used  on 
the  work. 

5.  Keep  in  mind  that  a stencil  designed  to  look  well 
on  paper,  in  black  and  white,  will  look  far  different  when 
the  impression  is  put  on  a colored  wall  in  a color,  rather 
than  in  black. 

6.  Do  not  use  the  same  motifs,  nor  the  same  complete 
stencil  designs,  for  more  than  one  job  in  a neighborhood. 
The  customer  does  not  like  to  have  his  decorations  dupli- 
cated, at  least  in  the  same  neighborhood,  and  there  is  no 
need  for  it. 

But,  after  all  is  said  about  using  good  taste  and  good 
judgment  to  secure  nice  balance,  flowing  lines,  and 
graceful  contour  in  your  stencil  designs,  it  must  be  con- 
cluded that  words  are  as  empty  here  as  when  trying  to 
describe  a beautiful  color  or  music. 

To  study  diligently  the  designs  of  master  artists,  and 
then  practice,  is  the  sure  way  to  learn  to  do  well  on  your 
own  account.  Fine  designs  are  everywhere  to  be  found — • 
in  the  encyclopedias,  the  dictionaries  and  the  hundreds  of 
books  on  design  for  many  purposes  that  may  be  con- 
sulted in  the  libraries.  The  museums,  with  their  ancient 
pottery  and  metal  products,  also  offer  an  endless  oppor- 
tunity to  study  the  best. 

The  stencil  process  is  not  successful  when  it  comes  to 
transferring  designs  of  animals,  birds,  and  people  in 
their  natural  state.  The  features  invariably  are  distorted 


36 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


and  look  freakish.  Conventionalized  natural  subjects 
and  silhouettes  are  transferred  in  excellent  manner, 
however. 

Conventionalizing. — Natural  subjects  are  extensively 
used  as  motifs  for  stencil  schemes,  especially  birds,  in- 
sects, animals,  and  flowers.  The  Greeks  and  all  civilized 
peoples  since  have  used  greatly  the  acanthus  leaves  in 
varying  forms,  also  the  anthemion  (honeysuckle).  The 
Egyptians  used  the  lotus  flowers,  buds,  and  leaves.  The 
Romans  used  the  laurel  leaves,  making  a crown  of  honor 
and  symbol  of  victory.  The  French  have  their  lily,  the 
Dutch  the  tulip,  the  English  the  rose.  All  are  changed 
to  formal  lines,  conventionalized,  and  used  the  world  over. 

Some  of  these  motifs — the  rose  and  tulip,  for  instance 
• — are  much  used  in  outline  in  their  natural  form,  as  well 
as  conventionalized,  and  when  so  used  ought  to  be  colored 
naturally,  or  nearly  so. 

Plate  14  shows  the  natural  lily  with  its  conventional- 
ized form,  the  fleur-de-lfs,  and  several  other  conventional- 
ized motifs. 

MATERIALS  FOR  STENCILS 

Stencil  Paper. — The  material  almost  universally  used 
now  from  which  to  cut  stencils  is  a fairly,  thin,  tough, 
oiled  paper,  which  can  be  purchased  from  paint  supply 


houses  in  these  sizes : 

Per  10  Per 
yd.  roll  yard 

Oiled  stencil  paper,  ready  for  use,  36  in. 

wide,  weight  8 lbs $4.50  $0.50 

Oiled  stencil  paper,  ready  for  use,  48  in. 

wide,  weight  11  lbs 6.00  .70 

Unprepared  paper,  48  in.  wide,  X 2.40  .30 

Unprepared  paper,  48  in.  wide,  XX 2.80  .36 

Unprepared  paper,  48  in.  wide,  XXX 3.20  .40 

Unprepared  paper,  48  in.  wide,  XXXX 4.00  .50 


The  above  are  “list”  prices,  and  subject  to  a discount 
of  50  per  cent. 


STENCIL  MAKING 


37 


Plate  14. — The  Natural  Lily  and  Its  Conventionalized  Form,  the  Fleur- 
de-Lis,  with  Other  Stencil  I’atterns. 


38 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


Coating  Ordinary  Paper. — It  is  possible  lo  use  ordi- 
nary, heavy,  brown  Kraft  wrapping  paper  with  good 
results.  Treat  it  first  with  a coat  or  two  of  paraffin  wax, 
dissolved  in  turpentine.  Shave  the  wax  into  small  pieces, 
put  into  a pot  and  cover  with  turps.  Then  put  the  pot 
into  hot  water  until  the  wax  is  dissolved.  Do  not  melt  on 
a fire.  It  is  dangerous. 

Another  plan  is  to  cut  the  stencil  from  this  paper  and 
shellac  both  sides  of  it.  The  English  decorator  prefers 
to  coat  all  stencils  made  from  paper,  first  with  a mixture 
of  one-third  turpentine  and  two  parts  linseed  oil.  Then 
a coat  or  two  of  white  lead  and  turpentine  makes  a flexi- 
ble stencil,  which  lies  flat  on  the  surface  and  does  not  curl 
up  on  the  corners  nor  catch  the  brush. 

Other  Materials. — Stencils  to  be  used  as  patterns  from 
which  to  make  other  stencils,  and  those  which  are  to  re- 
ceive unusually  hard  service,  are  cut  from  a thin  sheet 
of  zinc,  brass,  or  lead.  Metal  stencils  do  not  lie  close  to 
the  surface  as  they  should  in  transferring,  but  are  best 
for  some  jobs. 

Many  other  materials  are  used  in  making  stencils.  Win- 
dow shade  cloth  is  excellent.  Wall  canvas,  oil  cloth,  and 
filled  muslin  make  stronger  and  more  flexible  stencils  than 
paper.  They  are,  of  course,  painted  and  shellacked  be- 
fore using,  and  usually  before  cutting. 

DRAWING  THE  DESIGN 

The  stencil  design  may  be  transferred  to  a new  sheet 
of  stencil  paper,  or  metal,  with  paint  through  another 
stencil,  making  the  same  kind  of  an  impression  as  would 
be  transferred  to  a wall,  or  it  may  be  drawn  through  such 
a stencil  with  a pencil.  Again,  the  design  may  be  put  on 
to  the  stencil  paper  by  tracing  it  through  a piece  of 
carbon  paper  or  it  may  be  drawn  with  rule,  compasses, 
T-square,  and  triangle. 


STENCIL  MAKING 


39 


However  it  is  transferred  to  the  paper,  have  the  sheet 
securely  fastened  down  to  a drawing-board  (your  wife’s 
bread-mixing  board  will  do,  if  you  can  get  it)  with  thumb 


SCALE 


Plate  15. — T-Square,  Triangle,  Curves,  and  Scale  Used  in  Stencil 
Design. 


tacks.  Be  certain  to  have  an  accurate  rule  and  a hard 
pencil — 4H  or  6H,  preferably  the  first. 

Copying  Designs  from  a Book. — Should  the  design  you 
want  to  use  be  found  in  a book  from  which  the  page  ought 


40 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


not  to  be  torn,  or  marked  up  by  tracing  the  design  through 
carbon  paper  on  to  the  stencil  paper,  you  can  copy  the 
design  in  this  manner : Lay  a piece  of  linen  tracing  paper, 
such  as  is  used  by  architects  for  plans,  over  the  design. 
Fasten  it  to  the  page  with  paper  clips,  pins,  or  thumb 
tacks,  and  proceed  to  trace  the  pattern  with  a hard  pencil 
onto  the  linen,  which,  of  course,  is  transparent.  Thin, 
white,  transparent  letter  paper,  rice  paper,  and  onion- 
skin paper  are  just  as  good  for  the  purpose,  but  not  so 
tough  and  durable  as  linen. 

When  you  have  the  design  on  the  linen  or  thin  paper,  it 
can  be  transferred  to  the  stencil  paper  easily,  by  placing 
a sheet  of  carbon  paper  between  the  two  and  tracing  the 
pattern  with  a hard  pencil.  Keep  the  pencil  sharp  and 
follow  the  lines  carefully,  or  you  will  lose  some  of  the 
important  details  of  the  design  during  the  transferring 
process.  Study  the  design  carefully  before  beginning 
to  trace,  and  then  you  can  do  a more  accurate  job.  After 
tracing,  true  up  the  straight  lines  with  a rule  and  the 
curved  lines  with  a compass  or  by  freehand. 

Neiv  Drawings  on  Stencil  Paper. — When  making  a new 
drawing  on  stencil  paper,  without  the  use  of  tracings, 
and  when  laying  out  a new  stencil  composed  of  detached 
motifs  or  parts  of  other  designs,  start  your  drawing  by 
making  a base  line  square  with  the  board,  using  the 
T-square  for  the  purpose.  Then  use  the  triangle  on  top 
of  the  T-square  for  all  vertical  lines,  as  in  Plate  15,  and 
the  stencil  will  be  accurate  when  finished.  That  is  ex- 
ceedingly important. 

If  the  stencil  design  and  plate  are  not  the  same  width 
at  both  ends,  the  design  will  not  match  and  will  not  run 
straight.  Square  all-over  stencils  are  especially  particu- 
lar in  this  respect;  band  stencils  likewise.  The  curves 
used  by  draftsmen  will  be  found  very  handy  in  making 
scrolls  and  curved  lines.  They  are  semi-transparent,  so 
that  the  lines  of  the  drawing  can  be  seen  through  them. 


STEAXIL  MAKING 


41 


Locate  the  design  on  the  stencil  paper  so  as  to  have  not 
less  than  a two-inch  margin  on  all  four  sides.  Then  the 
color  from  the  stencil  brush  will  not  smear  the  wall  up 
around  the  outside  of  the  stencil  plate.  Be  sure  and 
cut  the  whole  stencil  plate  square  with  the  base  line  on 
all  four  sides. 


ENLARGING  OR  REDUCING  SIZE 

TJse  of  the  Pantagraph. — Any  stencil  in  your  possession 
can  easily  be  made  larger  or  smaller  and  at  the  same  time 
keep  each  line,  figure,  and  detail  the  correct  size  in  pro- 
portion to  the  rest  of  the  stencil  design.  The  tool  called 
a pantagraph,  shown  in  Plate  16,  accomplishes  this  pur- 
pose well.  Instructions  for  using  it  are  sent  with  each 
tool,  so  time  will  be  saved  by  omitting  them  from  these 
pages.  Pantagraphs  are  listed  by  a Chicago  paint  supply 
house  as  follows : 


No.  8864. 
No.  1149. 


No.  1148. 


No.  1144. 


Pantagraph,  hardwood,  simple  construc- 
tion, 17^2  inches  long;  price $0.50 

Pantagraph,  hardwood,  nickel  - plated 
mountings,  lead  pencil  and  tracer  inter- 
changeable in  tubular  holder  for  reduc- 
ing and  enlarging 1.20 

Pantagraph,  hardwood,  nickel  - plated 
mountings,  interchangeable  for  reducing 
and  enlarging  in  25  ratios,  in  plain  box ; 

price  3.00 

Pantagraph,  polished  hardwood,  fancy 
lined  bars,  21-inch  metal  foot,  inter- 
changeable points  for  reducing  and  en- 
larging drawings,  in  34  ratios,  in  plain 
box;  price  4.00 


Another  Method. — Another  way  to  enlarge  or  reduce  a 
design  is  shown  by  Plate  16  also.  Take  the  silhouette 
nursery  stencil  of  a circus  bear,  by  way  of  illustration. 


42 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


Assume  that  the  picture  you  have  is  four  inches  high 
and  that  you  need  a stencil  of  it  to  be  eight  inches  high. 


Pantagraph 


ForEnlorsiny  and  Reducing 


Plate  16. — Pantagraph,  Used  in  Enlarging  or  Reducing  Stencil  Designs  ; 
Also  the  Square  Method. 

To  begin  the  enlarging,  draw  lines  across  the  picture 
you  have  crosswise  and  up  and  down  to  completely  cover 
it  with  little  squares,  say  of  one-quarter  inch  size.  Now 


STENCIL  MAKING 


43 


number  the  squares  across  the  top  from  1 down  to  144 
as  indicated  by  the  drawing. 

Now  it  is  desired  that  the  enlarged  stencil  shall  be 
twice  as  large  as  the  picture,  so  the  first  step  is  to  draw  a 
rectangular  panel  twice  as  large  as  the  one  occupied  by 
the  picture  you  have,  which  is  2x4i/^  inches,  so  make  the 
new  drawing  4x9  inches  and  double  the  size  of  the 
squares.  The  squares  on  the  picture  are  i/4  inch  each 
way,  so  make  the  larger  ones  % inch  each  way.  Then 
number  them  in  the  same  order  as  those  on  the  small 
picture. 

This  done,  the  new  picture  must  be  drawn  in  free- 
hand, but  the  numbered  squares  show  the  location  and 
curve  of  each  line  so  well  that  the  drawing  amounts  prac- 
tically to  copying.  For  instance,  by  looking  at  the  pic- 
ture, we  see  that  the  left-hand  side  of  the  parasol  begins 
in  the  lower  left-hand  corner  of  square  18,  runs  up  to  the 
lower  half  of  square  13,  then  down  to  the  lower  center  of 
square  24,  and  back  again  in  a slight  semicircle  to  square 
18,  where  the  line  began.  We  notice  that  the  handle  of 
the  parasol  runs  through  almost  the  center  of  squares 
29,  37,  and  45,  not  quite  straight,  but  with  a little  slant. 
It  is  seen  also  that  the  bear ’s  nose  begins  just  a little  be- 
low the  center  of  square  45,  his  forehead  in  44,  one  ear  in 
43,  one  in  42,  and  so  on. 

Now  if  you  will  begin  to  draw  these  portions  of  the 
design  in  on  the  larger  squares,  taking  care  to  locate 
each  line  in  the  square  bearing  the  same  number  as  on  the 
picture,  and  in  the  same  relative  position,  you  will  have 
no  difficulty  in  copying  the  design  accurately  to  enlarge 
it. 

It  is  well  just  to  sketch  in  the  whole  design  roughly 
first  with  a hard  pencil,  to  locate  the  lines  in  the  proper 
squares.  Then  go  back,  take  one  square  at  a time,  and 
copy  the  direction  and  curve  of  the  lines  with  care. 

This  done,  go  over  the  design  as  a whole,  to  connect 


44 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


up  tlie  sections  of  lines  and  smooth  out  the  kinks.  Next 
draw  in  the  ties  and  cut  the  stencil.  Obviously  the 
drawing  ought  to  be  done  on  stencil  paper. 

This  method  should  prove  especially  easy  and  handy 
for  all  wdio  possess  a little  skill  in  drawing,  and  facility 
with  a pencil.  Anyone  who  is  willing  to  make  a few 
practice  trials  can  readily  use  the  method  to  advantage. 

Use  of  the  Scale. — The  scale,  showm  on  Plate  15,  is  a 
handy  tool  when  laying  out  a drawing  of  some  design 
which  you  want  to  make  a smaller  size,  say  one-half,  one- 
fourth,  or  one-eighth  the  size  of  the  original,  and  still 
keep  the  different  members  of  the  design  in  the  same 
])roportion  to  each  other  as  in  the  large  design  to  be 
copied.  The  architect  draws  his  plan  of  a house,  making 
it  a certain  size  in  proportion  to  the  house  when  built. 
He  lets  Vs?  tV  some  other  fraction  of  an  inch  represent 
a foot  of  the  building  itself.  Then,  wdien  making  his 
drawing,  if  the  house  is  to  be  forty  feet  wide,  he  makes 
the  drawing  forty  i/4  inches,  or  ten  inches,  wide. 

A scale  is  used  for  obtaining  the  various  measurements 
from  a drawing.  Scales  are  made  in  several  forms,  the 
most  convenient  being  the  flat  with  beveled  edges  and 
the  triangular,  like  that  shown  in  Plate  15.  A scale  is 
usually  a little  over  12  inches  long,  and  is  divided  into 
sections  for  a distance  of  exactly  12  inches.  The  sec- 
tions, or  graduations,  are  arranged  so  that  the  drawing 
may  be  made  in  almost  any  proportion  to  actual  size. 
The  common  divisions  are  multiples  of  two.  Thus  we 
make  drawings  full  size,  half  size,  I/4,  i/s,  iV.  1/64, 
etc.  When  a drawing  is  to  be  % size,  3 inches  (being 
one-fourth  of  a foot)  equals  1 foot.  Hence  3 inches  on 
the  scale  is  divided  into  12  equal  spaces  and  each  space 
represents  1 inch. 

The  scale  should  never  be  used  for  ruling  lines,  or  it 
will  become  marked  up  and  be  difficult  to  read.  It  is  a 
measure,  not  a ruler. 


STENCIL  MAKING 


45 


GUIDE  MARKS  AND  KEYS 

Band  stencils,  color  stencils,  and  all  that  run  continu- 
ously, as  when  below  a picture  mould,  are  most  satisfac- 
torily used  when  guide  marks,  or  register  keys,  are  placed 
at  the  left-hand  edge  of  the  stencil  plate,  and  cut  through. 
The  marks  are  transferred  to  the  wall  along  with  the 
balance  of  the  pattern.  The  marks  usually  consist  of  a 
part  of  the  right-hand  side  of  the  design. 


fTJd  iktU 


Plate  17. — Showing  Guide  Marks,  or  Register  Keys,  A,  A,  on  Design  B,  B. 

Plate  17  shows  the  guide  marks  A,  A.  They  are  parts  of 
the  right-hand  figures  of  the  design,  marked  B,B.  To 
transfer  the  design  from  this  stencil  plate,  begin  on  the 
right-hand  side  of  one  wall,  in  the  corner.  Set  the  stencil 
plate  in  the  first  position  to  follow  a chalk  line  previously 
snapped  on.  Transfer  the  design,  including  the  guide 
marks  A,  A,  to  the  wall  with  the  stencil  brush  in  color 
in  the  ordinary  manner.  This  done,  remove  the  stencil 
and  place  in  the  next  position  to  the  left,  for  the  second 
impression. 

The  portion  of  the  design  on  the  right-hand  side  of  the 
stencil  plate  marked  B,  B,  should  be  placed  exactly  over 
the  guide  marks  on  the  wall,  marked  A,  A.  The  stencil 


46 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


is  now  in  the  correct  position  for  transferring  the  second 
setting  of  the  design  to  the  wall. 

When  the  plate  is  made  to  register  with  each  setting 
in  this  manner,  it  will  run  straight  and  each  impression 
will  match  the  one  behind  and  ahead  of  it  perfectly. 

MAKING  COLOR  STENCILS 

Color  stencils  for  a two-color  set  are  made  in  the  fol- 
lowing manner : 

Draw  or  trace  your  design  complete  on  a piece  of  trac- 
ing cloth  or  ordinary  wrapping  paper  (not  too  thick  to  be 
traced  through,  using  carbon  paper).  Place  this  sheet 
with  the  design  on  top  of  the  paper  from  which  the 
stencil  is  to  be  made.  Insert  a piece  of  carbon  paper  be- 
tween the  two  and  square  up  the  corners  of  the  three 
sheets.  Lay  them  on  the  drawing-board  and  make  them 
fast  with  a thumb  tack,  push  pin,  or  needle  in  the  upper 
right-hand  and  left-hand  corners. 

Now  select  the  part  or  parts  of  the  design  which  are  to 
be  transferred  in  color  No.  1 ; say  the  parts  marked  C 
in  Plate  8.  Trace  over  these  parts  only  with  a hard 
pencil,  so  as  to  transfer  them  through  the  carbon  paper 
to  the  stencil  paper  below.  This  done,  pull  all  three 
sheets  up,  removing  the  thumb  tacks  or  push  pins. 

To  make  the  stencil  for  color  No.  2,  place  another 
clean  sheet  of  stencil  paper  on  the  board,  the  carbon  next, 
and  then  the  sheet  having  the  complete  design  on  it. 
Square  up  the  sheets  and  again  fasten  down  to  the  board 
with  thumb  tacks.  See  that  the  three  sheets  are  even 
on  all  four  sides,  and  that  the  two  pieces  of  stencil  paper 
from  which  the  new  color  plates  are  to  be  made  are 
exactly  the  same  size  as  the  sheet  upon  which  the  com- 
plete design  was  made.  Trace  the  rest  of  the  design, 
that  is,  all  parts  not  marked  C,  which  are  to  be  trans- 
ferred with  the  second  color.  The  two  plates  are  now 
complete,  except  for  guides.  Keep  the  original  drawing 


STENCIL  MAKING 


47 


as  a pattern  for  future  stencils  should  one  plate  or  the 
other  break  while  in  use. 

Registering . — Nothing  has  been  said  yet  about  the 
most  important  feature  in  making  color  stencils,  namely, 
the  registering,  which  simply  means  making  the  design 
match  up  accurately  when  transferred  in  two  operations 
and  from  two  different  plates,  to  get  the  second  color  in 
the  right  place.  This  is  accomplished  by  means  of  color 
guide  marks,  as  shown  by  G,  G,  Plate  8. 

See  to  it  that  the  guide  marks  are  transferred  to  the 
stencil  plate  made  for  the  second  color  only.  Cut  them 
through  the  plate  with  the  balance  of  the  design,  and 
do  not  transfer  them  to  the  wall  with  the  second  color. 
After  transferring  one  color  to  the  wall  from  the  plate 
having  the  completed  leaves  on  it,  marked  (7,  in  Plate  8, 
you  can  set  the  second  plate  so  that  the  guide  marks 
will  match  with  the  ends  of  the  leaves  transferred  to  the 
wall  by  the  first  plate. 

Two  Kinds  of  Guide  Marks. — Keep  in  mind  that  two 
kinds  of  guide  marks  are  used.  Those  marked  G,  Plate 
8,  are  for  registering  the  second  color  plate  on  top  of  the 
stencil  impression  on  the  wall,  which  has  been  trans- 
ferred by  the  first  plate.  Guide  marks  A,  in  Plates  17 
and  8,  are  used  to  help  set  the  first  stencil  in  the  second 
position  on  the  wall,  so  that  the  design  will  match  and 
join  up  closely,  and  run  straight. 

By  having  a plate  for  each  color,  made  by  repeating  the 
above  process  as  many  times  as  need  be,  you  can  trans- 
fer a design  in  as  many  colors  as  you  wish,  without  any 
freehand  filling  in  of  colors,  as  with  outline  stencils. 
The  outline  stencil  makes  a more  attractive  job,  however. 
The  color  plate  method  is  most  useful  for  some  kinds  of 
work,  notably  where  the  surface  to  be  decorated  is  large, 
and  when  the  expense  must  be  kept  to  a minimum. 

Two-Color  Stenciling  with  One  Stenciling  is 

often  done  in  two  colors,  using  an  ordinary  one-color 


48 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


stencil  plate,  and  in  one  setting  of  the  plate  in  each  posi- 
tion. A separate  stencil  brush  and  pot  of  color  is  pro- 
vided for  each  color.  The  brush  must  be  fairly  small. 
The  stencil  is  set  in  place  and  held  by  needles  or  glass 
push  pins,  and  the  parts  to  be  transferred  in  the  second 
color  are  covered  with  the  hand,  a piece  of  tin,  or  card- 
board, while  the  first  color  is  being  transferred.  Then, 
without  removing  the  stencil  plate,  the  second  color  is 
transferred  while  the  first  is  covered.  Care  is  needed  to 
avoid  smearing  a color  in  the  wrong  hole  and  to  avoid 
moving  the  stencil,  thus  blotting  the  edges  of  one  color  or 
both. 

AVhen  making  a stencil  for  use  in  panels,  such  as  are 
often  part  of  a dining-room  dado,  and  sometimes  are 
found  in  friezes,  it  is  best  to  make  a stencil  large  enough 
to  fill  the  whole  panel,  unless  it  be  quite  a large  panel. 
The  stencil  plate  may  be  held  in  place  with  glass  push 
pins,  and  all  color  work  and  wiping  can  be  done  in  one 
setting,  so  that  the  design  will  be  complete  when  the 
stencil  is  removed. 

LOCATING  TIES 

How,  when,  and  where  to  leave  ‘‘ties/’  that  is,  little 
pieces  of  the  stencil  plate  left  between  the  cut-out  details 
to  hold  the  stencil  together,  is  the  beginner’s  great  prob- 
lem. The  best  aids  to  its  solution  are  common  sense  and 
that  precious  “sense  of  the  fitness  of  things.”  The  thick- 
ness and  toughness  of  the  stencil  plate  will  help  to  deter- 
mine how  many  ties  are  required,  and  how  wide  they 
must  be  to  hold  the  plate  together.  Make  them  wide 
enough  to  be  strong  and  at  the  same  time  to  look  well  in 
proportion  to  other  members  of  the  design. 

That  ties  are  necessary  to  the  reproduction  of  most 
designs  is  obvious.  Suppose  you  wish  to  stencil  a hollow 
square  pattern,  as  in  Plate  18.  When  you  cut  through 
the  paper  plate  to  follow  the  lines  on  all  four  sides,  the 


STENCIL  MAKING 


49 


Plate  18. — “Ties”  Correctly  and  Incon-ectly  I’laced. 


50 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


center  section  would  fall  out.  The  stencil  plate  would 
then  transfer  a solid,  not  a hollow,  square  impression. 
The  center  section  must  be  held  in  place  while  trans- 
ferring the  impression,  and  to  leave  ties,  or  little  pieces 
of  paper  connecting  the  center  section  with  the  balance 
of  the  plate  like  bridges,  is  the  practical  method.  This 
illustrates  the  principle  as  it  applies  to  all  ties  in  sten- 
cils. 

II ow  to  Place  Ties. — Ties  may  be  placed  arbitrarily, 
making  sure  to  have  a certain  nundier  to  each  foot  of 
stencil,  or  they  may  be  placed  only  with  the  idea  of  mak- 
ing a strong  stencil.  But  both  methods  are  incorrect. 
Ties  ought  to  be  placed  to  make  a stencil  plate  strong, 
but  that  can  be  accomplished  while  at  the  same  time  locat- 
ing them  so  as  to  help  the  artistic  appearance  of  the  de- 
sign. Make  the  ties  help  to  improve  the  design,  not 
interfere  with  its  flowing  lines  and  continuity.  It  is 
not  necessary  that  stenciled  ornaments  be  of  a discon- 
nected pattern,  but  many  designs  are  more  attractive 
with  the  blank  spaces  made  by  ties,  if  the  ties  are  artis- 
tically placed  to  preserve  the  balance  in  design. 

In  placing  the  ties,  parallel  lines  should  always  be 
strongly  supported  by  direct  ties,  carefully  placed.  Ties 
which  are  introduced  in  a purely  arbitrary  fashion  fre- 
quently have  to  be  disguised  by  filling  with  color  the 
blank  spaces  left  by  them  in  the  design  on  the  wall,  to 
prevent  their  appearing  too  evident  and  obtrusive. 

Ties  come  most  frequently  in  long  stems  and  lines. 
Sometimes  it  is  possible  to  throw  another  stem,  a leaf, 
or  a tendril  across  at  the  weak  point,  and  so  get  the 
desired  strength  without  another  tie.  See  Plate  18.  This 
is  the  best  way,  as  it  adds  interest  at  the  same  time.  Of 
course,  it  should  not  be  allowed  to  disturb  the  balance 
of  the  design.  The  tie  can  be  made  too  evident  in  the 
design  and  may  clearly  intrude,  completely  breaking  up 
the  continuity. 


STENCIL  MAKING 


51 


Experience  only  will  teach  one  the  correct  and  incor- 
rect placing  of  ties  in  stencil  designs,  but  Plate  18  will 
give  an  understanding  of  the  most  common  errors.  The 
plate  also  indicates  the  correct  way  to  place  ties.  The 
background  stencil  at  the  bottom  of  the  plate  is  of  the 
class  which  requires  no  ties.  The  design  is  supported 
when  cut  out  of  paper  by  touching  itself  in  many  places. 

Japmiese  Stencils. — A study  of  Japanese  stencils  is 
especially  helpful  as  to  the  location  of  ties.  They  are 
indeed  clever  in  this  respect.  Their  ties  are  made  to  form 
the  veins  in  the  leaves  and  other  natural  parts  of  the 
design. 

The  people  of  Japan  use  stencils  for  many  purposes 
besides  house  decoration,  even  on  their  clothes.  One 
outstanding  feature  of  their  designs  is  that  they  excel 
in  simplicity,  never  drawing  in  a complete  motif,  be  it 
, bird,  insect,  or  flower.  Enough  is  left  to  your  imagina- 
tion to  excite  interest.  They  suggest  the  outline  merely. 
Yet  their  ideas  in  stencil  are  clear;  they  “get  over,”  and 
are  not  vague.  The  colors  used  are  nearly  always  trans- 
parent dyes  and  stains,  with  only  an  occasional  use  of 
opaque  color  to  emphasize  a detail. 

The  Japanese  decorator  does  not  often  use  ties  in  his 
stencils,  even  though  they  are  of  a most  delicate  and  com- 
plicated design.  He  handles  the  stencil  in  such  a way 
as  to  gain  the  support  given  our  stencils  by  ties.  The 
Japanese  pattern  is  drawn  on  a thin  sheet  of  strong  rice 
paper,  which  is  then  laid  flat  on  top  of  a second  sheet  of 
the  same  paper.  In  cutting,  the  knife  is  made  to  go 
through  both  sheets,  thus  cutting  two  stencils  at  once 
which  are  exactly  the  same ; they  register.  Next  one 
sheet  is  coated  with  glue,  and  across  all  openings  which 
need  the  support  of  ties,  pieces  of  silk  thread  are  laid 
arbitrarily  as  to  design.  The  second  stencil  plate,  the 
duplicate,  is  then  laid  on  top  of  the  glued-on  threads,  and 
a plate  of  double  thickness  results.  It  is  strong  enough 


52  NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 

for  all  practical  purposes.  The  threads  do  not  leave 
blank  spaces  on  the  wall,  as  do  paper  ties,  because  the 
bristles  of  the  stencil  brush  work  the  color  under  them. 
There  seems  to  be  no  reason  why  this  form  of  construc- 
tion should  not  be  used  by  American  decorators  for  all 
the  designs  for  which  it  is  superior.  It  has  in  fact  been 
used  to  some  extent. 

Complicated  Designs. — The  making  of  stencils  to  trans- 
fer complicated  designs,  those  having  many  small  details 
to  be  cut  out,  is  usually  handled  most  practically  by 
making  two  or  more  plates  in  the  same  manner  as  when 
a steucil  is  to  be  transferred  in  two  or  more  colors.  That 
is,  a plate  is  made  for  each  color  to  be  used,  and  each  plate 
has  cut  into  it  only  the  part  of  the  design  to  be  trans- 
ferred in  that  color. 

Some  designs  from  which  stencils  are  cut  make  one- 
plate  stencils  which  are  frail  indeed,  and  they  do  not  last 
long.  The  brush  tears  the  small  ties  after  a few  settings 
in  decorating  a wall. 

But  when  two  plates  are  made  to  transfer  the  same 
design  in  two  settings,  a stronger  stencil  results.  Of 
course,  it  requires  a little  more  time  to  transfer  the  im- 
pression from  two  plates  than  from  one.  It  can  be  trans- 
ferred in  two  colors,  however,  just  as  easily  as  in  one. 

In  using  two  plates  for  a design,  the  details,  such  as 
leaves,  stems,  and  flowers,  for  instance,  can  be  made  to 
connect  more  closely,  or  to  join  solidly  if  that  is  to  be 
desired. 

Metal  Stencil  Ties. — On  metal  stencils,  except  sheet 
lead,  the  ties  are  usually  pieces  of  flue  steel  wire,  soldered 
in  place  arbitrarily  to  make  a strong  stencil.  The  brush 
puts  color  on  under  the  wire  ties,  and  so  they  do  not  show. 
Metal  stencils  require  few  ties. 


STENCIL  MAKING 


53 


Plate  19. — Brushes  and  Tools  Used  in  Stencil  Work,  also  a Grapevine 

Design. 


u4 


NEW  STENX’ILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


CUTTING  THE  STENCIL 

Paper  Stencil. — The  design  to  be  cut  is  drawn  on  sten-^ 
cil  paper.  Then  the  first  essential  is  a knife  with  a good 
piece  of  steel  for  a blade.  Plate  19  show’s  the  regular 
stencil  knife  sold  by  the  supply  houses.  Sometimes  a 
good  pocket-knife  is  better.  Any  knife  w’hich  is  not  too 
hard  on  the  fingers  wdien  cutting,  and  w’hich  has  a point 
that  can  be  kept  sharp,  w’ill  do.  An  oilstone  must  be 
nearby,  so  that  the  knife  can  be  sharpened  at  least  once 
for  each  stencil  cut.  If  not  sharp,  it  wdll  cut  a stencil 
W’hich  W’ill  produce  ragged,  round  edges. 

A large  piece  of  plate  glass  on  a table  is  the  best  sur- 
face upon  wdiich  to  place  the  stencil  while  cutting.  A 
small  piece  of  ordinary  window  glass  will  do,  laid  on 
a flat  table  top.  Just  see  that  it  is  quite  a little  larger 
than  the  stencil  to  be  cut.  A piece  of  sheet'  zinc  W’ill 
serve  for  a cutting  surface  also. 

If  you  wish,  the  paper  from  which  the  stencil  is  to  be 
cut  may  be  dampened  slightly  by  laying  a wet  cloth 
over  it.  Then  paste  the  four  corners  down  to  the  glass. 
When  the  paper  becomes  dry  it  will  shrink  tightly  and 
perfectly  flat. 

Arrange  to  move  the  stencil  so  that  you  can  always 
pull  the  knife  to  you  in  cutting,  rather  than  push  it 
away  from  you;  although  it  is  true  that  the  Japanese 
cutter  pushes  the  knife  away  from  him. 

Cut  with  the  sharp  point  of  the  knife  and  keep  it 
sharp.  When  cutting  a straight  line,  lay  down  a ruler 
to  follow. 

Take  great  care  to  avoid  cutting  through  some  of  the 
ties.  If  you  do  cut  through  one,  glue  a strip  of  cloth  or 
paper  over  it  firmly,  to  hold  it  in  place. 

For  cutting  holes  in  a stencil,  one  quarter  to  two  inches 
in  diameter,  steel  leather  belt  punches  are  used  for  ac- 
curacy and  speed. 


STENCIL  MAKING 


55 


Hold  the  knife  not  too  straight  up  and  down.  Slant 
it  toward  you  a little  and  it  will  turn  the  curves  more 
easily  and  remain  sharp  longer. 

Metal  Stencils. — Metal  stencils  are  placed  on  a lead 
block  for  cutting  with  chisels  and  punches.  Files,  drills, 
and  hack  saws  are  also  used  in  the  cutting. 

RELIEF  STENCILS 

The  Greek  civilization  highly  developed  in  art  2500 
years  ago,  loved  and  developed  the  beauty  of  form  rather 
than  color.  Among  the  oldest  designs  known  today  are 
the  Greek  frets,  or  key  designs,  shown  in  Nos.  1804,  1212, 
1211,  1208,  Plate  1,  and  they  were  cut  in  relief  in  beau- 
tiful marble  and  stone,  usually  without  color. 

This  form  of  ornament  can  be  produced  with  stencils. 
It  possesses  great  merit  from  the  artistic  standpoint  and 
deserves  a much  wider  use.  It  consists,  as  the  name  im- 
plies, of  raised  designs  set  in  relief  on  a flat  or  curved 
surface.  The  design  is  cast  or  moulded  on  the  surface 
by  filling  a deep-cut,  thick  stencil  plate  with  a plaster 
composition. 

Relief  stenciled  designs  may  be  colored  with  trans- 
parent colors,  such  as  the  umbers  and  siennas,  or  left 
in  the  white.  Shellac  the  surfaces  to  stop  suction  before 
coloring.  The  color  may  be  partly  wiped  off  for  a pleas- 
ing effect. 

Materials  Used. — Relief  stencils  are  drawn  the  same 
as  other  kinds,  but  not  on  paper.  The  stencil  plates  are 
cut  from  some  material  which  is  one-eighth  inch,  one- 
quarter  inch,  or  three-eighths  inch  thick.  Soft  woods, 
such  as  basswood  and  clear  white  pine,  are  suitable. 
Good  quality  cork  linoleum,  made  for  floors,  is  excellent 
material  because  it  is  easy  to  cut,  is  flexible,  and  lies 
close  to  the  wall. 

Cutting. — The  stencil  when  cut  ought  to  be  varnished 
or  shellacked.  The  cutting  is  done  with  the  scroll  or  fret 


56  NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 

saw  used  by  carpenters  and  cabinetmakers.  A hand  fret 
saw  will  do.  Chisels,  drills,  and  sharp  knives  are  also 
needed.  It  is  well  to  cut  the  design  so  as  to  taper  sliglitly 
toward  the  back  of  the  stencil.  Then,  when  removing 
the  plate,  after  filling  in  the  composition  material  to  form 
the  pattern,  it  will  come  off  easily  without  breaking 
the  edges.  The  inside  surfaces  of  the  design  must 
naturally  be  smooth  and  without  suction. 

Placing  on  the  Wall. — The  relief  plaster  design  is  best 
cast  on  to  the  bare  plaster  wall.  Sandpaper  thoroughly 
any  paint  on  the  surface  to  the  bare  plaster,  and  wet  it 
before  casting  the  new  plaster  design.  The  stencil  plate 
must  be  held  firmly  and  steadily  in  place  for  a few  min- 
utes with  each  setting,  to  permit  the  plaster  to  set  before 
removing  it.  As  to  location,  point  of  beginning,  etc.,  what 
has  been  said  here  about  handling  ordinary  stencils  ap- 
plies to  relief  stencils. 

Composition. — The  plaster  composition  to  use  for  this 
work  can  be  purchased  from  decorators’  supply  houses  in 
the  dry  form,  ready  to  mix  with  water.  You  can  make  a 
suitable  composition  from  plaster  of  paris  chiefly,  with 
a little  whiting  added.  Dissolve  just  enough  first-class 
glue  in  water  to  make  a strong  size.  Mix  the  plaster  of 
paris  and  whiting  to  a stiff  putty  with  this  size.  Force 
this  putty  well  into  the  stencil  plate  with  a putty  knife, 
trowel,  or  spatula,  holding  the  stencil  tightly  against  the 
surface  at  the  same  time.  Smooth  off  the  face  evenly. 

Even  without  the  beautiful  color  effects  which  are  to 
be  obtained  on  relief  designs  by  transparent  colors,  wip- 
ing out  high  lights,  shading,  etc.,  fliis  work  is  wonder- 
fully attractive  when  confined  to  simple  patterns  of  per- 
fect classic  design.  The  depth  of  the  design  causes  it  to 
cast  a shadow  and  to  show  perspective,  which  we  do  not 
have  with  flat  ornaments  on  flat  surfaces. 


CHAPTER  IV 

COLOES  AND  COLOK  HAEMONY 

So  large  a subject  as  that  of  color  can  hardly  be 
covered  satisfactorily  in  the  limited  space  of  a single 
chapter,  yet  there  are  some  essential  principles  of  color 
use,  affecting  the  artistic  employment  of  stencils,  which 
ought  to  be  presented,  however  briefly  it  must  be  done. 

The  coloring  of  stencils,  obviously,  must  be  governed 
in  a large  measure  by  the  wall  and  ceiling  colors  of  a 
room,  by  the  trim  and  the  furnishings.  Yet  this  is  not 
the  place  for  a full  consideration  of  these  factors. 

Cultivation  of  Color  Sense. — We  hear  it  said  that  but 
few  people  have  a well  developed  eye  for  color  selection, 
mixing,  and  matching.  There  is  mighty  little  truth 
in  such  statements.  To  be  sure,  some  people  are  color 
blind,  while  others  have  an  eye  for  color  and  a color 
sense  much  more  highly  developed  than  the  average  per- 
son or  painter,  and  so  are  able  to  distinguish  and  ap- 
preciate exceedingly  delicate  variations  and  harmonies 
of  color. 

Color  management  is  gained  through  both  sight  and 
feeling.  The  study  and  application  of  well-known  color 
rules  will  enable  the  average  painter  to  get  on  well.  The 
mastery  of  color  harmony  comes  also  through  constant 
association  with  and  study  of  the  beautiful  things  pro- 
duced by  man,  and  especially  the  beauties  of  nature. 
Diligent  observations  and  careful  deductions  from  what 
you  see  in  the  coloring  of  the  birds,  the  flowers,  and  but- 
terflies will  soon  quicken  your  color  sense  and  make  it 
quite  beyond  a possibility  for  you  to  produce  color 
schemes  which  do  not  have  the  harmony  and  feeling 
which  please  us. 


58 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


Obviously,  trials  and  practice  in  mixing  and  matching 
colors  are  as  essential  as  to  study  the  fine  coloring  effects 
produced  by  nature  and  by  man.  Without  these  individ- 
ual tests,  progress  is  not  made.  But  get  into  the 
habit  of  enjoying  the  beautiful  in  color,  proportion,  and 
form.  Read  the  history  of  art,  and  it  will  help  your 
work. 

Color  Management  in  Stencils. — It  ma}^  seem  ill  con- 
sidered to  try  to  give  specific,  definite  ideas  about  colors, 
color  schemes,  and  color  use  without  showing  actual  col- 
ors in  print.  Color  names  are  as  a rule  so  inadequate 
and  non-descriptive.  But  an  attempt  will  be  made  to 
state  the  most  important  facts  concerning  color  manage- 
ment as  it  relates  to  stencils — the  points  to  be  kept  in 
mind  and  used.  When  specific  colors  are  mentioned, 
they  will  be  described  by  their  ingredients  or  formulae 
rather  than  by  names  alone. 

Concerning  the  finished  effect  of  stencil  decoration  on 
walls,  keep  ever  before  you  the  requirements  of  artistic 
and  good  decoration. 

Stencil  ornament  must  be  in  harmony  with  the  gen- 
eral decorations  and  furnishings  of  a room,  both  in  color 
and  in  form. 

It  must  be  restful  to  the  eye  and  not  too  bold  or  too 
prominent  to  enable  a person  to  relax  and  rest. 

Walls,  whether  ornamented  with  stencils  or  not,  ought 
to  form  a good  background  for  the  display  of  pictures 
and  the  right  color  setting  for  furniture,  rugs,  and 
drapery.  When  walls  are  painted  or  papered  too  strong- 
ly in  colors  or  in  the  figure  of  stencil  or  wall  paper,  they 
attract  undue  notice,  diverting  attention  from  the  effect 
of  the  room  as  a whole.  It  is  just  as  poor  taste  to  have 
spectacular  furniture  or  overcolored  rugs  as  to  have 
walls  out  of  harmony,  but  the  painter  exercises  no  con- 
trol over  these  other  details  and  he  is  responsible  for 
the  effect  of  the  wall  treatment. 


COl^ORS  AND  COLOR  HARMONY 


51) 


Delicate  Colors  Preferred. — For  interior  decoration 
stencil  colors  should  always  be  soft  and  delicate,  with 
this  exception:  Some  stencil  designs  contain  small  cen- 
ters or  areas  which  deserve  strong,  bright  coloring  in 
order  to  set  off  the  whole  design  properly.  These  are 
called  jewel  points,  and  require  bright,  strong  treat- 
ment in  color.  The  area  thus  colored  should  seldom 
be  more  than  two  or  four  inches  in  diameter,  usually 
less. 

What  are  soft,  delicate  colors?  And  what  are  strong, 
harsh  colors?  Light  colors  made  by  tinting  white  with 
but  a small  quantity  of  any  color  are  soft  in  tone,  but  as 
a rule  they  are  made  on  a white-lead  base  and  are,  there- 
fore, opaque.  So  they  are  not  as  useful  for  stencils  as 
semi-transparent  colors,  such  as  the  umbers,  siennas, 
greens,  and  blues. 

How  then  are  you  to  secure  a light,  soft  yellow,  for 
instance  ? Chrome  yellow  alone  is  harsh  and  too  strong. 
It  is  also  opaque.  Mix  it  with  white  lead  to  make  a nice 
soft  yellow  and  you  have  the  color,  but  not  the  trans- 
parent effect  preferred  for  stencil  colorings.  Yellow  lake 
is  transparent  and  will  give  you  nice,  light,  soft  tints, 
but  it  fades  quickly. 

Here  is  the  way  to  produce  the  soft,  durable  yellow 
tint:  Kaw  sienna  in  the  can  is  brown,  and  on  dark 
surfaces  it  is  still  brown;  but  spread  this  transparent 
sienna  over  a white  or  light  colored  ground — spread  it 
thin,  and  a clear  soft  yellow  tint  will  result. 

This  principle  holds  with  all  semi-transparent  colors. 
A cobalt  blue,  used  as  it  comes  from  the  can,  is  far  too 
strong  and  harsh  to  be  used  for  even  fairly  large  areas 
of  wall  surfaces.  But  mix  it  thin  and  spread  over  a 
white,  light  gray  or  ivory  ground  coat,  and  you  have  a 
pure  light  blue  tone  which  is  attractive  indeed. 

The  term  “harsh  colors”  is  best  used  as  describing 
crude  colors,  such  as  Prussian  blue,  which  has  a green- 


60 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  TflEIR  USE 


isli  cast.  A little  black,  red,  or  yellow  added  to  it  will 
modify  and  soften  the  color. 

It  is  a general  rule  that  for  many  purposes  a much 
more  pleasing  effect  is  produced  by  mixing  two  or  more 
colors  together  than  by  using  one  clear  color.  You 
might,  for  instance,  use  a brown  (burnt  umber)  for  vines 
and  stems  of  flower  patterns ; but  add  a little  raw  umber 
and  a touch  of  red,  and  a more  pleasing  color  results. 

This  principle  is  especially  noticeable  when  mixing 
opaque  colors  by  tinting  a white-lead  base.  Mix  a brown 
from  white  and  burnt  umber  alone  and  it  is  lifeless,  but 
add  a touch  of  chrome  yellow,  a little  raw  umber,  and 
red,  and  an  exceedingly  pleasing  brown  results.  You 
cannot  see  the  yellow  nor  the  red  in  the  brown,  but  it  is 
there — you  can  feel  its  influence. 

All  tints  and  shades  are  more  pleasing  to  the  eye 
when  two,  three,  or  four  colors  are  used  in  their  mixing 
than  when  but  one  or  two  are  used.  The  complicated 
formulae,  in  other  words,  iDroduce  more  attractive  colors 
than  simple  formulae. 

POINTS  TO  REMEMBER  ABOUT  COLORS 

When  equally  light  or  equally  dark  colors  are  mixed 
together,  the  resulting  color  will  be  a little  darker  than 
either  of  the  two. 

Blacks,  ochre,  chrome  yellow,  and  white  lead  are  not 
semi-transparent,  but  opaque.  They  hide  the  surface. 
They  are  not  glaze  colors. 

The  lake  colors  are  more  transparent  even  than  the 
umbers,  siennas,  cobalt  blue,  Prussian  blue,  ultramarine 
blue,  chrome  green,  vermilions,  Indian  red,  Venetian 
red,  Vandyke  brown,  verdigris  green,  and  some  others 
less  commonly  used.  Those  enumerated  are  the  most  im- 
portant and  permanent  of  the  glaze  colors  and  are  semi- 
transparent. 


COLORS  AND  COLOR  HARMONY 


61 


Opaque  colors  (those  which  cover  solidly)  appear  flat 
and  uninteresting  when  used  for  stencil  purposes.  Semi- 
transparent colors — umbers,  siennas,  chrome  green,  and 
yellow— give  an  appearance  of  depth  which  is  good  to 
look  at.  A transparent  color  laid  on  thin  as  a gla2je  over 
opaque  colors  or  bronze  metals  is  especially  attractive. 

When  two  or  more  colors  of  a stencil  are  a little  out 
of  harmony,  a thin  glaze  coat  of  some  semi-transparent 
color,  spread  over  both  colors,  will  often  unite  them  and 
improve  the  harmony  wonderfully. 

Don’t  color  natural  forms  inconsistently.  It  shows 
poor  taste  to  tint  the  natural  outlines  of  roses  with  blue. 
Nor  should  daisies  be  colored  purple — they  don’t  grow 
that  way.  On  the  other  hand,  conventional  forms  of 
the  rose,  the  daisy,  and  other  natural  motifs  may  well 
be  colored  with  any  light  tints  which  will  harmonize  with 
the  rest  of  the  color  scheme. 

Avoid  using  too  many  different  colors.  It  is  better  by 
far  to  use  a few  shades  or  tints  of  one  color. 

COLOR  HARMONY 

Color  harmony  is  produced  in  two  principal  ways — 
by  analogy  and  by  contrast. 

Harmony  by  analogy  results  from  using  related  colors, 
those  which  have  something  in  common  with  each  other. 
When  you  mix  a light  gray,  by  adding  a little  black  and 
a touch  of  raw  umber,  for  a ceiling  color,  and  then  pro- 
duce a side  wall  color  in  the  same  way,  but  using  more 
black  and  more  umber,  you  harmonize  by  analogy.  The 
two  colors  are  related.  They  would  still  harmonize,  by 
the  same  principle,  if  the  lighter  color  had  also  some  red 
in  it,  while  the  darker  had  yellow  in  its  make-up.  Both 
colors  would  still  possess  the  black,  white,  and  umber 
in  common.  Color  harmony  by  analogy  is  by  far  the 
safest  and  easiest  way  to  be  certain  about  the  ou^-'V)me 
of  combinations. 


62 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


To  secure  harmony  by  contrast  means  the  use  of  two 
or  more  unlike  colors  which  appear  well  together  and 
complement  each  other.  Red  and  green,  purple  and 
yellow,  orange  and  blue,  all  harmonize  by  contrast. 

Lack  of  harmony  between  strong,  pure  colors  is  quickly 
detected  by  the  average  person.  With  medium  and  light 
colors  it  is  not  so  easy  to  detect  it.  AVhen  it  comes  to 
very  light  colors  in  the  transparent  class,  it  may  almost 
be  said  that  all  colors  harmonize  with  each  other. 

The  inexperienced  decorator  usually  possesses  a ten- 
dency to  use  too  many  colors,  too  strong  colors,  and  to 
repeat  a design  too  many  times.  Don ’t  do  it ! One  reaches 
the  point  of  satisfaction  with  colors  and  designs,  as  with 
everything  else.  The  simple,  well-proportioned,  taste- 
fully colored  decorations  have  the  most  charm.  And  re- 
member, too,  that  blank  space  is  needed  to  balance  the 
ornament  and  give  a pleasing  appearance  to  the  wall  as 
a whole. 

VARIATIONS  OF  COLOR 

A tone  refers  to  the  comparative  brightness  of  a color. 
Colors  may  be  lighter  or  darker  in  tone  according  to 
the  quantity  of  light  they  reflect. 

A tint  is  produced  by  adding  white  to  any  color.  Colors 
are  of  different  tints  in  proportion  to  the  amount  of  white 
in  them. 

A line  is  the  changed  effect  produced  by  adding  one 
color  to  another.  Thus  we  may  add  a reddish  hue  to  a 
brown,  a greenish  hue  to  blue,  etc. 

A shade  is  a degree  of  difference  in  tone.  When  two 
colors  have  the  same  hue  (quality  of  color)  and  tint,  but 
are  different  in  tone,  the  dull  one  is  a shade  of  the  other. 

decorators’  oil  colors 

Many  of  the  colors  used  for  stenciling,  striping,  and 
glaze  work  are  those  usually  purchased  for  tinting  white 


COLORS  A^D  COLOR  HARMONY 


G3 


lead.  The  umbers  and  siennas  especially  are  suitable 
for  stencil  decorating,  provided  they  are  of  first-class 
quality.  For  particularly  nice  jobs  it  is  advisable  to  buy 
the  special  decorators’  colors  in  tubes  or  cans,  as  they  are 
clear  in  tone,  brighter,  and  more  transparent.  They  are 
ground  very  fine  in  linseed  oil,  and  put  up  in  one-pound 
friction-top  cans,  which  may  be  easily  opened  and  closed ; 
also  in  large  tubes,  x 6 inches.  Substantially  the 
same  colors  can  be  secured  ground  in  japan  or  turpen- 
tine, also  in  water  (called  ‘‘distemper”). 

The  principal  advantages  to  be  gained  by  using  these 
special  decorators’  colors  are  that  such  colors  are  strong- 
er in  tinting  strength,  clearer  in  tone,  and  more  trans- 
parent than  ordinary  house-paint  tinting  colors.  For 
ordinarily  good  work,  however,  colors  of  the  latter  class 
are  completely  satisfactory.  They  are  not  muddy,  nor 
short  in  coloring  strength,  when  they  come  from  reput- 
able manufacturers. 

Following  is  a list  of  special  decorators’  colors, 
“ground  in  linseed  oil,”  handled  by  one  supply  house. 

Blacks. — Ivory  black,  lamp  black. 

Blues. — Antwerp,  cobalt,  Prussian  blue,  ultramarine. 

Browns. — Burnt  sienna,  raw  sienna,  burnt  umber,  raw 
umber,  Vandyke  brown. 

Greens. — Chrome  green,  light ; chrome  green,  medium ; 
chrome  green,  dark ; sap  green,  Zinnobar  green,  ultra- 
marine  green. 

Lakes. — Alizarin  lake,  blue  lake,  carmine  lake,  crimson 
lake,  geranium  lake,  green  lake,  light;  green  lake,  dark; 
mauve  lake,  olive  lake,  orange  lake,  rose  lake,  scarlet 
lake,  yellow  lake. 

Reds. — Decorators’  red,  Indian  red,  permanent  red, 
rose  pink,  Turkey  red,  Tuscan  red,  Venetian  red. 

Vermilions. — American  vermilion,  English  vermilion. 


C4 


NEW’  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


Yellows. — Chrome  yellow’,  lemon;  chrome  yellow’, 
light;  chrome  yellow’,  medium;  chrome  yellow’,  orange; 
Dutch  pink,  golden  ochre,  yellow’  ochre. 

White. — Flake  w’hite. 


LIGHT  AND  COLORS 

Electric  and  gas  lights  affect  color  schemes  consider- 
ably. Pure  yellow  w’hich  is  free  from  a greenish  or 
reddish  tinge  appears  under  artificial  light  to  be  almost 
w^hite.  Pure  blue  seems  almost  black.  Scarlet  appears 
normal  but  brighter.  Bright  pure  bluish  green  appears 
normal  but  a little  dull. 

Other  changes  noticeable  under  the  influence  of  elec- 
tric or  gas  lights  are : 


Azure  blue appears  gray  and  dull 

Cadet  blue “ soft  and  dull 

Peacock  blue ....  “ soft  and  dull 

Old  blue “ soft  and  dull 

Kobin’s  egg  blue,  “ gray  and  dull 

Brown  “ softer 

Buff  “ to  be  little  changed 

Gray  “ softer 

Green  “ softer 

Lavender  “ adversely  affected 

Maroon  “ softer 

Pink  “ adversely  affected 

Purple  “ adversely  affected 

Reds  “ to  be  little  changed 

Rose  ‘ ‘ adversely  affected 

Salmon “ adversely  affected 

Terra  cotta “ softer 

Violet  ‘‘  to  be  little  changed 

Yellow  softer 


PERMANENCE  OF  COLORS 

As  is  pretty  generally  known,  some  commonly  used 
colors  are  more  permanent  than  others  and  so  are  serv- 
iceable for  a much  longer  period  without  fading  or 
changing  from  the  influence  of  strong  light.  Following 
is  a classification  of  many  of  the  most  useful  colors, 
with  respect  to  their  permanence: 


COLOrwS  AND  COLOR  HARMONY 


t)5 


Permanent 


WHITE— 

Flake  white 
White  lead 
Barium  white 

EED— 

Indian  red 
Venetian  red 
Eed  ochre 
Burnt  sienna 
Tuscan  red 

YELLOW— 
Eaw  sienna 
Yellow  ochre 
Golden  ochre 


GEEEN— 

Chrome  green 
Cobalt  green 
Green  ultrama- 
rine 

BLUE— 

Cobalt 

Ceruleum 

Smalt 

Ultramarine 
(except  with 
white  lead) 

BEOWN— 

Burnt  umber 
Eaw  umber 


Fairly 

Permanent 


Zinc  white 


Vermilion 
Madder  red 
Turkey  red 
Eose  pink 
Orange  chrome 


Aureolin 
Barium  yellow 
Cadmium 
Chrome  yellow 
Indian  yellow 
Naples  yellow 
Dutch  pink 

Emerald  green 
Madder  green 
Malachite 
Terre  verte 


Prussian  blue 
Antwerp  blue 


A^andyke  brown 
(mineral) 


Fugitive  and 
Likely  to  Fad^ 


Eed  lead 
Crimson  lake 
Scarlet  lake 


Y'ellow  lake 
Zinc  chromate 


Green  lake 
Sap  green 
Verdigris 


Indigo 


Vandyke  browif 
(organic) 


BLACK— 

Lamp  black 
Charcoal  black 
Ivory  black 
Graphite  black 


Bitumen  black 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


COLOR  SCHEMES 

Naturally,  the  colors  to  be  used  for  stencils  are  de- 
termined by  other  colors  used  in  the  room,  and  are 
governed  by  the  character  of  the  room,  the  light,  and 
the  color  preferences  of  those  who  occupy  the  rooms. 

A few  color  schemes  in  general  will,  nevertheless,  be 
helpful  as  a means  of  stimulating  thought  and  of  sug- 
gesting others.  When  it  is  said  that  the  color  schemes 
which  follow  are  interesting,  in  good  taste,  and  suitable, 
it  must  be  understood  that  this  is  true  principally  when 
the  wood  trim  and  furnishings  are  in  harmony  with  the 


colors  suggested. 

For  These  Wall 
Colors 

Use  These  Stencil  Colors 

Cream  - 
Buff 

Soft  green,  gray-green,  sage,  orange, 
brown,  dull  red,  green,  light  tan,  white, 

Fawn 

ivory. 

Light  cobalt  blue 
Delft  blue 

Dull  gray-blue 

Dark  blue,  orange,  yellow,  browns,  sage, 
gray-green,  light  soft  pink,  black  and 
light  orange,  white. 

Gray-green 

Olive 

Sage 

Brown,  orange,  ivory,  cream,  rose,  light 
yellow,  white. 

Yellow 

Purple,  light  blue,  orange,  russet,  white, 
buff. 

Pearl  gray 

Ivory  white,  light  gray,  olive,  sage 
green,  light  blue,  rose,  white,  orange. 

Tan 

Cream,  brown,  white,  dull  green,  ivory. 

Umber  grays 

Dull  green,  light  gray,  rose,  orange, 
white,  ivory. 

Stencils  always  look  well  on  a wall  when  transferred 
in  the  ceiling  color,  and  vice-versa.  Or  a color  midway 
between  the  wall  and  ceiling  colors  (mixed  on  the  same 
formula),  but  a few  degrees  darker  or  lighter,  may  be 
used. 

Ivory  white,  pure  white,  and  light  gray  may  be  used 
for  stenciling  on  practically  any  ground  color. 


Soft  tan  Cream  Brown,  red,  white  Warm  gray 

Light  yellow  Ivory  white  Sage  green,  pur-  Ivory,  natural  or 

pie  brown 


COLORS  AND  COLOR  HARMONY 


et 


Bedrooms 

Walls  Ceiling  Stencil  Trim 

Light  gray  Same  Rose  and  white  Med.  light  gray 

Soft  light  yellow  Yellowish  vhite  Light  cobalt  blue  Ivory  enamel 

Light  olive  Ivory  Cray,  rose  and 


68  NEW  STE.NX’ILS  AND  THEIR  USE 

Indefinite  Color  Names. — When  a color  is  mentioned 
by  name,  keep  in  mind  always  that  it  is  only  a general 
term  until  more  definitely  described.  The  name  ‘ ‘ green  ’ ’ 
is  indefinite  indeed  until  it  is  described  either  as  a blue- 
green,  meaning  that  it  has  a bluish  cast;  a gray-green, 
with  a dull  grayish  cast ; an  olive  or  yellow  green.  The 
same  holds  true  in  describing,  mixing  and  using  most 
colors. 

You  will  note  that  the  blues,  browns,  yellows,  and  other 
colors  are  also  specified  as  dull  greens,  pale  yellows,  soft 
grays,  etc.  That  is  to  distinguish  them  from  the  full, 
clear  colors,  which  are  usually  much  too  harsh  to  use  un- 
til toned  down  by  the  addition  of  some  other  colors.  A 
blue,  especially  Prussian,  is  far  more  attractive  for  in- 
terior decoration  after  you  have  added  a touch  of  black 
and  a bit  of  red,  to  make  what  is  called  an  ‘‘old  blue.’^ 
The  soft,  dull  appearance  of  pastel  colors  is  the  effect  you 
want  to  approximate  in  practically  all  colors  used  on 
large  wall  spaces  and  on  stencils. 

In  decorating  the  average  home,  no  better  color  plan 
can  be  followed  than  to  use  one  general  tone  throughout 
the  several  rooms.  Of  course  the  one  color  may  well  be 
made  lighter  or  darker  for  each  different  room.  The 
warm  grays,  dull,  light  gray-greens,  and  tans  are  excel- 
lent for  this  purpose,  forming  a good  background  for 
pictures  and  other  furnishings. 

COLOR  FORMULA 

In  connection  with  the  color  formulae  in  the  pages  that 
follow,  two  points  must  be  kept  constantly  in  mind : 

First,  there  are  no  standard  names  for  colors.  Per- 
haps it  ought  to  be  stated  the  other  way, — there  are  no 
standard  colors  for  color  names. 

Lay  out  a certain  medium  shade  of  warm  yellow,  and 
ask  several  people  what  color  it  is.  One  will  say  buff, 
another  fawn,  others  goldenrod,  russet,  pumpkin  color. 


COLORS  AND  COLOR  HARMONY 


69 


and  so  on.  So  it  is  with  most  colors.  Perhaps  some  day 
our  government  will  establish  color  standards,  as  it  has 
already  declared  how  much  weight  constitutes  a pound, 
how  much  of  any  liquid  equals  a gallon,  etc. 

The  colors  produced  by  the  formulae  given  here  are 
considered  by  the  average  decorator  to  be  correct  for  the 
names  attached  to  them.  You  must,  however,  mix  any 
one  of  them  lighter,  darker,  or  a little  different  if  neces- 
sary to  produce  what  your  customer  thinks  is  a better 
color  for  the  name  given. 

The  second  point  to  keep  in  mind  is  that  the  tinting 
strength  of  different  brands  of  colors  varies  considerably. 
The  writer  has  used  seven  pounds  of  a cheap  yellow 
ochre  to  tint  a batch  of  white  lead  to  the  same  shade  of 
cream  as  was  produced  by  one  pound  of  first-class  French 
ochre  with  the  same  amount  of  lead. 

Some  brands  of  tinting  colors  are  greatly  extended  by 
inert  pigments,  because  some  people  want  cheap  colors. 
The  high  class,  strong  colors  are  cheapest  in  the  end. 
and  far  better  and  clearer  tints  are  produced.  In  mix- 
ing the  colors  to  test  these  formulae,  first-class  colors  of 
a standard  advertised  brand  were  used.  All  the  formulae 
were  carefully  verified.  The  list  is  quite  extensive,  af- 
fording a wide  range  of  color  for  selection  and  is  ar- 
ranged in  alphabetical  order,  as  follows : 

Amher. — Burnt  umber,  3 parts;  middle  chrome,  3 
parts;  orange  chrome,  8 parts. 

Argent  {Gray). — Black,  9 parts;  white  lead,  16  parts; 
red,  1 part ; trace  of  orange. 

Ash. — White  lead,  50  parts ; raw  umber,  5 parts ; yel- 
low ochre,  1 part. 

Bay. — Black,  3 parts;  Venetian  red,  3 parts;  slightly 
shade  with  orange  chrome. 

Black  (Jet). — Ivory  black,  10  parts;  umber,  1 part; 
Prussian  blue,  1 part. 


70 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


Black  {Olive). — Vine-black,  20  parts;  yellow  ochre,  1 
part. 

Black  {Purple). — Lampblack,  5 parts;  rose  pink,  1 
part. 

Blue  {Antwerp). — Antwerp  blue.  Or  compound 
with  bright  green,  1 part;  ultramarine,  2 parts;  trace 
of  zinc  white. 

Blue  {Azure). — Azure  blue.  Or  compound  with: 
Ultramarine  blue,  1 part ; zinc  white,  40  parts. 

Blue-black. — Ivory-black,  40  parts;  Prussian  blue,  3 
parts. 

Blue  {Bronze). — Black,  3 parts;  Prussian  blue,  1 part. 

Blue  {Dark). — White  lead,  1 part;  chrome  green,  2 
parts;  Prussian  blue,  7 parts. 

Blue  {Delft). — Tint  white  lead  with  cobalt  blue  and 
a touch  of  lamp  black. 

Blue  {Deep). — Prussian  or  ultramarine  blue. 

Blue  {Gobelin). — Ivory -black,  4 parts;  white  lead,  2 
parts ; chrome  green,  1 part ; Prussian  blue,  3 parts. 

Blue  {Granite). — Black,  2 parts;  white,  6 parts;  ultra- 
marine  blue,  1 part. 

BUie  {Grayish) . — White  lead,  20  parts;  Prussian  blue, 
2 parts ; ivory-black,  1 part. 

Blue  {Indigo). — Indigo,  or  compound  with:  Black,  9 
parts;  Prussian  blue,  4 parts. 

Blue  {Light  Prussian) . — White  lead  with  a touch  of 
Prussian  blue. 

BUie  {Light  Gray). — White  lead  with  a touch  of  lamp- 
black and  of  raw  umber. 

Blue  {Marine). — Ultramarine  blue,  1 part;  ivory- 
black,  9 parts. 

Blue  {Methyl). — Green,  1 part;  blue,  12  parts;  trace 
of  red. 


COLORS  AND  COLOR  HARMONY 


71 


Blue  {Misty). — White  lead,  50  parts;  ultramarine,  10 
parts ; burnt  umber,  1 part. 

Blue  {Mountain). — Mountain  blue.  Or  compound 
with : Ivory-black,  1 part ; cobalt  blue,  3 parts ; rose  mad- 
der, 2 parts ; white  lead,  4 parts. 

Blue  {Old). — Mix  from  Prussian  blue  and  a touch  of 
lampblack  or  ivory  black. 

Blue  {Opaque). — Zinc  white,  1 part;  French  ultra- 
marine,  1 part. 

Blue  {Oriental). — White  lead,  100  parts;  Prussian 
blue,  9 parts ; lemon  chrome,  1 part. 

Blue  {Pale). — ^White  lead,  30  parts;  Brunswick  blue, 
1 part. 

Blue  {Pure). — Zinc  white,  20  parts;  English  ultra- 
marine,  or  cobalt  blue,  2 parts. 

Blue  {Royal). — White  lead,  1 part;  ultramarine,  15 
parts. 

Blue  {Sapphire). — Zinc  white,  4 parts;  Chinese  blue, 
1 part. 

Blue  {Sea). — ^White  lead,  16  parts;  ultramarine,  3 
parts;  raw  sienna,  2 parts. 

Blue  {Pale  Shy). — White  lead,  tinted  with  cobalt  blue. 

Blue  {Sky). — White  lead,  300  parts;  cobalt  blue,  1 
part ; Prussian  blue,  1 part. 

Blue  {Turquoise). — White  lead,  20  parts;  ultrama- 
rine, 2 parts ; light  green,  1 part. 

Brass  Yellow. — White  lead,  40  parts;  light  chrome 
yellow,  12  parts;  raw  umber,  1 part;  burnt  umber,  1 
part. 

Brick. — Venetian  red,  2 parts ; white  lead,  1 part. 

Bronze. — Black,  14  parts;  yellow,  1 part;  green,  2 
parts. 

Bronze  {Asiatic). — Medium  chrome  yellow,  1 part; 
raw  umber,  2 parts ; very  little  white  lead. 


72 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


Bronze  Green. — Middle  chrome,  2 parts;  raw  umber, 
5 parts ; burnt  sienna,  1 part ; black,  1 part. 

Bronze  Yellow. — White  lead,  10  parts;  lemon  chrome, 
4 parts ; raw  umber,  5 parts. 

Brown  {Alderney). — Yellow,  3 parts;  black,  14  parts; 
white  lead,  1 part ; orange,  2 parts. 

Brown  {Amher). — Burnt  umber,  9 parts;  middle 
chrome,  5 parts;  Venetian  red,  3 parts. 

Brown  {Chestnut). — Medium  chrome  yellow,  4 parts; 
Venetian  red,  2 parts. 

Brown  {Coach). — Indian  red,  5 parts;  ivory-black,  2 
parts. 

Brown  {Cocoanut). — Burnt  umber,  4 parts;  yellow 
ochre,  1 part ; white  lead,  1 part. 

Brown  {Coffee). — Burnt  umber,  9 parts;  yellow  ochre, 
4 parts;  Venetian  red,  1 part. 

Brown  {Foliage). — ^Vandyke  brown,  2 parts;  burnt 
sienna,  1 part. 

Brown  {Golden). — ^White  lead,  20  parts;  yellow  ochre, 
3 parts ; burnt  sienna,  1 part. 

Brown  {Italian). — Vandyke  brown,  4 parts;  raw 
sienna,  1 part. 

Brown  {Leather). — Yellow  ochre,  4 parts;  Venetian 
red,  3 parts ; white  lead,  2 parts ; blue-black,  1 part. 

Brown  {Olive). — Burnt  umber,  3 parts;  lemon  chrome 
yellow,  1 part. 

Brown  {Orange). — Burnt  sienna,  5 parts;  orange 
chrome,  4 parts. 

Brown  {Bale). — ^White  lead,  4 parts;  burnt  umber,  1 
part. 

Brown  {Purple). — Indian  red,  8 parts;  burnt  umber, 
1 part;  black,  1 part. 


COLORS  AND  COLOR  HARMONY 


73 


Brown  (Seal). — Burnt  umber,  4 parts;  golden  ochre, 
1 part. 

Brown  {Snuff). — White  lead,  9 parts;  orange  chrome, 
1 part;  burnt  umber,  2 parts. 

Brown  (Stone). — Burnt  umber,  10  parts;  golden 
ochre,  1 part;  burnt  sienna,  2 parts. 

Brown  (Thrush). — Yellow  ochre,  1 part;  burnt  umber, 
3 parts ; white  lead,  12  parts. 

Brown  (Walnut). — Burnt  umber,  5 parts;  raw  sienna, 
1 part. 

Buff. — White  lead,  100  parts;  yellow  ochre,  7 parts; 
middle  chrome,  1 part. 

Buttercup  Yellow. — Middle  chrome. 

Canary. — White  lead,  10  parts ; lemon  chrome,  1 part. 

Chamois  Yellow. — White,  4 parts;  yellow  ochre,  5 
parts;  green,  1 part. 

Chamoline  (Yellow). — Kaw  sienna,  3 parts;  lemon  yel- 
low, 1 part ; white  lead,  5 parts. 

Chocolate. — Burnt  sienna,  5 parts;  carmine,  1 part. 

Cinnamon. — Golden  ochre,  1 part;  burnt  sienna,  2 
parts ; white  lead,  6 parts. 

Citron  (Yellow). — Raw  umber,  2 parts;  lemon  chrome 
5 parts. 

Claret. — Carmine,  2 parts ; ultramarine  blue,  1 part. 

Copper. — White  lead,  100  parts;  middle  chrome,  19 
parts;  Venetian  red,  umber,  and  green,  3 parts  each. 

Cream. — White  lead,  100  parts;  raw  sienna,  3 parts. 

Cream. — White  lead,  100  parts ; Italian  ochre,  3 parts. 

Crimson  (Amaranthine). — Vermilionette,  3 parts, 
Prussian  blue,  1 part. 

Drah. — Burnt  umber,  1 part;  white  lead,  10  parts. 

Drat)  (Deep). — White  lead,  20  parts;  burnt  umber,  14 
parts ; ochre,  2 parts. 


74 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


Drah  {Light). — White  lead,  50  parts;  burnt  umber, 
12  parts ; ochre,  1 part. 

Drah  {Medium). — White  lead,  100  lbs.;  raw  umber,  4 
lbs. ; French  ochre,  enough  to  tone  to  tint  wanted. 

Drah  {Warm). — White  lead,  100  lbs.;  raw  umber,  1^2 
lbs. ; French  ochre,  2 to  3 lbs. 

Ecru. — Brunswick  green,  1 part ; medium  chrome  yel- 
low, 3 parts ; white  lead,  8 parts ; black,  3 parts. 

Fawn. — White  lead,  60  parts ; burnt  umber,  5 parts ; 
yellow  ochre,  3 parts. 

Fawn  {Deep). — White  lead,  10  parts;  burnt  umber, 
4 parts ; ochre,  1 part. 

Flesh. — White  lead,  50  parts;  yellow  ochre,  2 parts; 
burnt  sienna,  1 part. 

Gold. — Color  white  lead  with  yellow  ochre,  raw  sienna, 
or  chrome  yellow,  5 parts ; vermilion,  1 part. 

Granite  {Blue). — Black,  2 parts;  white,  6 parts;  ultra- 
marine  blue,  1 part. 

Green  {Aloes). — Black,  6 parts;  white  lead,  3 parts; 
chrome  yellow,  1 part;  Brunswick  green,  3 parts. 

Green  {Apple). — Medium  chrome  green,  1 part;  white 
lead,  30  parts. 

Green  {Autumn). — Emerald  green,  2 parts;  black,  7 
parts ; chrome  yellow,  1 part. 

Green  {Blue). — Deep  green,  7 parts;  Prussian  blue,  1 
part. 

Green  {Bottle). — Light  green,  6 parts;  lampblack,  1 
part. 

Green  {Chartreuse). — Chrome  yellow,  4 parts;  chrome 
green,  5 parts;  tint  with  white. 

Green  {Chrome). — Chrome  green.  Or  compound 
with  Prussian  blue,  1 part;  lemon  chrome  yellow,  8 
parts. 

Green  {Citron). — White  lead,  40  parts;  middle 
chrome,  3 parts;  ivory-black,  1 part. 


COLORS  AND  COLOR  HARMONY 


75 


Green  (Emerald), — Emerald  green.  Or  compound 
with  white  lead,  8 parts ; medium  chrome  green,  1 part. 

Green  {Foliage). — Blue-black,  1 part;  lemon  chrome, 
4 parts. 

Green  {Gray). — Terre  verte,  10  parts;  raw  umber,  1 
part ; white  lead,  1 part. 

Green  {Invisible). — Black,  9 parts;  bright  green,  1 
part. 

Green  {Light  Olive). — Middle  chrome,  3 parts;  black, 
2 parts ; burnt  sienna,  1 part ; trace  of  white  lead. 

Green  {Marine). — Black,  4 parts;  middle  chrome 
green,  1 part. 

Green  {Middle  Chrome). — Lemon  chrome,  1 part; 
middle  chrome,  1 part ; Prussian  blue,  2 parts. 

Green  {Mignonette). — Chrome  green,  3 parts;  black, 
15  parts;  Prussian  blue,  1 part;  chrome  yellow,  1 part. 

Green  {Moss). — Medium  chrome  green,  30  lbs.;  raw 
umber,  12%  lbs. ; medium  chrome  yellow,  6 lbs. 

Green  {Moss  Rose). — Brunswick  green,  1 part;  yellow, 
4 parts ; white  lead,  3 parts. 

Green  {Muscovite) . — Prussian  blue,  6 parts;  chrome 
green,  13  parts;  orange  chrome,  3 parts;  white  lead,  8 
parts ; black,  20  parts. 

Green  {Myrtle). — White  lead,  20  parts;  middle 
chrome,  7 parts;  ivory-black,  1 part. 

Green  {Nile). — Prussian  blue,  6 parts;  emerald  green, 
9 parts;  white  lead,  5 parts. 

Green  {Olive). — White  lead,  12  parts;  yellow  ochre, 
4 parts ; umber,  1 part. 

Green  {Oriental). — White  lead,  2 parts;  lemon 
chrome,  2 parts;  umber,  1 part. 

Green  {Pale). — Zinc  green,  4 parts;  zinc  white,  5 
parts. 

Green  {Pale  Emerald). — White  lead,  2 parts;  emerald 
green,  1 part. 


76 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


Green  (Pea). — White  lead,  100  parts;  lemon  chrome, 
1 part ; light  green,  13  parts. 

Green  (Peacock). — White  lead,  7 parts;  emerald 
green,  50  parts ; Prussian  blue,  43  parts. 

Green  (Pistache). — Black,  7 parts;  yellow  ochre,  1 
part ; chrome  green,  ly^  parts. 

Green  (Prussian). — Prussian  green.  Or  compound 
with  emerald  or  medium  chrome  green,  12  parts ; chrome 
yellow,  3 parts;  black,  5 parts. 

Green  (Sage). — White  lead,  30  parts;  chrome  green, 
light,  2 parts ; burnt  sienna,  1 part. 

Green  (Sea). — White  lead,  100  parts;  deep  green,  4 
parts. 

Green  (Slate). — White  lead,  16  parts;  black,  5 parts; 
raw  turkey  umber,  1 part ; deep  green,  3 parts ; blue,  1 
part. 

Green  (Velvet). — Burnt  sienna,  3 parts;  light  chrome 
green,  5 parts ; white  lead,  8 parts. 

Green  (Water). — White  lead,  25  parts;  deep  green, 
1 part ; yellow  ochre,  5 parts. 

Gray  (Argent). — Black,  9 parts;  white  lead,  16  parts; 
red,  1 part ; trace  of  orange. 

Gray  (Ash). — Burnt  sienna,  2 parts;  ultramarine 
blue,  3 parts;  zinc  white,  60  parts. 

Gray  (Dove). — ^White  lead,  50  parts;  ultramarine,  4 
parts;  ivory-black,  1 part. 

Gray  (Greenish). — White  lead,  100  lbs.;  medium 
chrome  yellow,  8 oz. ; medium  chrome  green,  1 lb. ; lamp- 
black, 1 oz. 

Gray  (Jasper). — Black,  9 parts;  white,  2 parts;  trace 
of  deep  chrome. 

Gray  (Light). — Prussian  blue,  1 part;  lampblack,  3 
part ; white  lead,  10  parts. 

Gray , (Light) . — Tint  white  lead  with  a little  each 
lampblack,  raw  umber,  and  Prussian  blue. 


COLORS  AND  COLOR  HARMONY 


77 


Gray  {Light  French). — White  lead,  200  parts;  ivory- 
black,  2 parts ; blue,  1 part. 

Gray  {Opal). — Burnt  sienna,  1 part;  zinc  white,  30 
parts ; cobalt  blue,  2 parts. 

Gray  {Pearl). — White  lead,  50  parts;  Venetian  red, 

2 parts;  deep  green,  2 parts. 

Gray  {Pure). — Raw  turkey  umber,  1 part;  ivory- 
black,  1 part ; white  lead,  40  parts. 

Gray  {Silver). — White  lead,  tinted  slightly  with  a 
touch  of  lampblack  and  raw  umber. 

Gray  {Warm). — White  lead,  100  lbs.;  French  ochre, 

4 to  6 lbs. ; lampblack,  2 oz. ; Venetian  red,  2 oz. 

Hay. — White  lead,  100  parts;  yellow  ochre,  4 parts; 
raw  umber,,  4 parts;  deep  green,  1 part. 

Heliotrope. — Zinc  white,  2 parts;  red,  3 parts;  ultra- 
marine  blue,  4 parts. 

Indigo. — Indigo.  Or  compound  with  black,  9 parts; 
Prussian  blue,  4 parts. 

Ivory. — White  lead,  56  parts;  yellow  ochre,  2 parts; 
' Venetian  red,  1 part. 

Ivory. — Tint  white  lead  with  raw  sienna  and  a touch 
of  American  vermilion. 

Lavender. — White  lead,  100  parts;  ultramarine,  3 
parts ; madder  lake,  1 part. 

Lead. — White  lead,  100  parts;  ivory-black,  8 parts. 
Leather.— WhiiQ  lead,  20  parts ; yellow  ochre  4 parts ; 
Venetian  red,  2 parts. 

Lemon. — Lemon  chrome.  Or  compound  with  chrome 

5 parts ; white  lead,  2 parts ; very  little  green. 

Lilac. — White  lead,  100  parts;  ultramarine,  1 part; 
rose  madder,  1 part. 

Limestone. — White  lead,  100  parts;  yellow  ochre,  1 
part ; raw  umber,  1 part. 

Mahagony. — Orange  chrome,  10  parts;  burnt  sienna, 

3 parts ; white  lead,  1 part. 


78 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


Maple. — "White  lead,  100  parts ; yellow  ochre,  3 parts ; 
raw  umber,  1 part. 

Maroon. — Venetian  red,  2 parts;  Indian  red,  4 parts; 
lampblack,  1 part. 

Maroon  {Acacia). — Black,  4 or  5 parts;  Indian  red,  3 
parts ; Prussian  blue,  1 part. 

Maroon  {Black). — Black,  4 parts;  bright  red,  1 part; 
trace  of  Prussian  blue. 

Mascot  {Blue). — Black,  7 parts;  blue,  1 part;  trace  of 
green. 

Mauve. — White  lead,  6 parts;  Prussian  blue,  2 parts; 
madder  red,  1 part.  Or  add  blue  to  brown. 

Mouse  Color. — Lampblack,  3 parts;  Prussian  blue,  1 
part ; white  lead,  16  parts. 

Oak  {Dark). — White  lead,  2 parts;  yellow  ochre,  3 
parts;  Venetian  red,  1 part;  umber,  3 parts. 

Oak  {Light). — White  lead,  6 parts;  yellow  ochre,  6 
parts;  Venetian  red,  2 parts;  umber,  1 j^art. 

Ochre  {Golden). — "Vellow  ochre,  5 parts;  lemon 
chrome,  2 parts. 

Ochre  {Roman). — V^ellow  ochre,  50  parts;  turkey 
umber,  3 parts. 

Old  Gold. — White  lead,  6 parts ; ochre,  12  parts ; mid- 
dle chrome,  3 parts. 

Olive. — White  lead,  12  parts;  yellow  ochre,  4 parts; 
ivory-black,  1 part. 

Olive  {Gray). — Chrome  green,  1 part;  lampblack,  3 
parts ; white  lead,  40  parts. 

Olive  {Light). — Middle  chrome,  3 parts;  black,  2 
parts ; burnt  sienna,  1 part ; trace  of  white  lead. 

Olive  {Yellow). — Burnt  umber,  3 parts;  lemon  chrome 
yellow,  1 part. 

Orange. — Orange  chrome,  18  parts ; white  lead,  1 part ; 
yellow,  1 part. 

Orange  {Bright). — Orange  chrome,  1 part;  orange 
lead,  2 parts. 


COLORS  AND  COLOR  HARMONY 


79 


Orange  (Scarlet). — Orange  lead,  2 parts;  white  lead, 

1 part. 

Orange  (Persian). — Orange  chrome,  14  parts;  white 
lead,  1 part ; yellow  ochre,  5 parts. 

Peach  Bloom. — Indian  red,  3 parts;  white  lead,  17 
parts. 

Pink. — White  lead  tinted  with  American  vermilion. 
Pink  (Aurore). — Indian  red,  1 part;  orange  chrome, 

2 parts ; blue,  2 parts ; trace  of  lemon,  chrome ; tint  with 
white. 

Pink  (Coral). — Vermilion,  5 parts;  white  lead,  2 
parts ; chrome  yellow,  1 part. 

Pink  (Indian). — White  lead,  100  parts;  Indian  red,  3 
parts ; rose  madder,  1 part. 

Pink  (Light). — White  lead,  100  parts;  rose  madder, 
4 parts ; vermilion,  1 part. 

Pink  (Royal). — Zinc  white,  2 parts*,  carmine  lake,  2 
parts. 

Pink  (Venetian). — White  lead  tinted  with  trace  of 
Venetian  red. 

Porcelain  (Blue). — Zinc  white,  1 part;  chrome  green, 

1 part ; ultramarine  blue,  4 parts ; trace  of  black. 
Primrose. — Pale  zinc  chrome.  Or  compound  with : 

White  lead,  10  parts ; green,  3 parts ; yellow,  4 parts. 

Purple. — White  lead,  1 part;  ultramarine,  1 part;  In- 
dian red,  1 part. 

Purple  (Anemone). — Black,  2 parts;  white  lead,  1 
part ; bright  red,  6 parts ; Prussian  blue,  6 parts. 

Purple  (Begonia). — Lampblack,  4 parts;  bright  red,  5 
parts ; Prussian  blue,  4 parts. 

Purple  (Royal). — Royal  purple.  Or  compound  with: 
Vegetable  black,  2 parts ; red,  3 parts ; Prussian  blue,  14 
parts. 

Red  (Armenian) . — Yellow  ochre,  1 part;  Venetian  red, 

2 parts. 


80 


NEW  STEN'CILS  AND  THEIK  USE 


Red  (Bordeaux) . — Black,  1 part;  orange  chrome,  2 
parts ; Prussian  blue,  1 part. 

Red  (Carnation). — Carmine  lake,  3 parts;  white  lead, 
1 part. 

Red  (Cherry). — Rose  madder,  1 part;  vermilion,  2 
parts. 

Red  (Deep  Indian). — Indian  red,  5 parts;  lampblack,  I 
part. 

Red  (Egyptian). — Black,  10  parts;  white,  3 part!;: 
orange,  4 parts ; blue,  2 parts ; trace  of  red. 

Red  (Geranium). — Bright  red,  9 parts;  blue,  1 part. 

Red  (Light  Indian). — Venetian  red,  1 part;  Indian 
red,  3 parts. 

Red  (Mexican) . — Red  lead,  1 part;  Venetian  red,  4 
parts. 

Red  (Mikado). — Blue,  3 parts;  red,  7 parts;  small 
quantity  of  white. 

Red  (Moorish) . — Vermilion,  3 j:)arts;  rose  pink,  1 part. 

Red  (Orange). — Orange  chrome. 

Red  (Oriental). — Rose  madder,  2 parts;  orange  lead,  1 
part. 

Red  (Poppy). — Blue,  1 part;  vermilion,  24  parts. 

Red  (Turkish). — Pale  vermilion,  4 parts;  mahogany 
lake,  1 part. 

Red  (Tuscan) pink,  2 parts;  Indian  red,  4 
parts. 

Rose  (Carnation) . — Rose  madder,  1 part;  zinc  oxide, 
8 parts. 

Rose  (Light). — White  lead  tinted  lightly  with  rose 
lake,  turkey  red,  or  vermilion. 

Rose  (Old). — White  lead,  16  parts;  crimson  madder,  1 
part. 

Rosewood. — Bright  red,  1 part;  black,  6 parts;  trace 
of  green. 

Russet  (Dull). — White  lead  tinted  to  desired  shade 


COLORS  AND  COLOR  HARMONY 


81 


with  raw  sienna  and  a touch  of  vermilion  or  Indian  red. 

Salmon. — White  lead,  40  parts ; golden  ochre,  5 parts ; 
Venetian  red,  1 part. 

Sapphire. — Zinc  white,  4 parts ; Chinese  blue,  1 part. 
Scarlet  (Bright). — Vermilion,  20  parts;  pale  chrome, 
7 parts;  golden  ochre,  1 part. 

Scarlet  ( Orange). — Orange  lead,  2 parts;  white  lead,  1 
part. 

Slate. — White  lead,  100  parts;  ivory-black,  3 parts; 
ultramarine,  1 part. 

Snnjj. — White  lead,  9 parts ; orange  chrome,  1 part ; 
burnt  umber,  2 parts. 

Stone. — Burnt  umber,  1 part ; French  yellow  ochre, 

2 parts ; white  lead,  5 parts. 

Stone  (Bradford) . — White  lead,  100  lbs.;  raw  sienna, 

3 lbs. ; shade  with  lampblack. 

Stone  (Brown). — Burnt  umber,  10  parts;  golden 
ochre,  1 part ; burnt  sienna,  2 parts. 

Stone  (Dark). — White  lead,  20  parts;  yellow  ochre, 
12  parts;  raw  umber,  4 parts;  Venetian  red,  1 part. 

Stone  (Light). — White  lead,  100  parts;  and  either 
Italian  ochre,  5 parts,  or  yellow  ochre,  6 parts. 

Stone  (Middle). — White  lead,  100  parts;  yellow 
ochre,  12  parts. 

Tan. — White  lead,  20  parts ; burnt  umber,  6 parts  ; 
burnt  sienna,  3 parts ; yellow  ochre,  2 parts. 

Tan  (Auhurn). — Burnt  umber,  1 part;  golden  ochre, 
3 parts ; white  lead,  20  parts. 

Tan  (Coffee). — White  lead  tinted  with  burnt  umber. 
Tan  (Soft). — Tint  white  lead  with  raw  sienna. 

Tan  (Warm). — Tint  white  lead  with  raw  sienna, 
chrome  yellow,  and  vermilion. 

Terra  Cotta. — White  lead,  2 parts;  burnt  sienna,  1 
part. 

Terra  Cotta. — White  lead,  2 parts;  Venetian  red,  1 
part ; burnt  sienna,  1 part. 


82 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


Turquoise. — White  lead,  20  parts;  ultramarine,  2 
parts;  light  green,  1 part. 

Violet. — French  ultramarine,  14  parts;  crimson  lake, 
3 parts. 

Violet  (Transparent). — Ultramarine  blue,  4 parts; 
crimson  lake,  1 part. 

Walnut. — Burnt  umber,  5 parts;  raw  sienna,  1 part. 

White  (Clear). — White  lead,  300  parts;  ultramarine, 
1 part. 

White  (Flake). — Pure  English  white  lead. 

White  (Kremnitz). — Pure  zinc  oxide,  100  parts;  ultra- 
marine,  1 part. 

White  (Permanent). — Finest  barytes,  200  parts;  blue, 
1 part. 

White  (Pure). — Equal  parts  white  lead  and  zinc 
white. 

White  (Translucent) . — White  lead,  1 part;  barytes, 
10  parts. 

White  (Transparent). — Zinc  white,  1 part;  barytes, 
20  parts. 

Yellow  (Alabaster). — White,  4 parts;  middle  chrome 
yellow,  1 part. 

Yellow  (Light  Colonial). — White  lead,  100  lbs.;  med- 
ium chrome  yellow,  1 to  2 lbs. ; raw  sienna,  1 lb. 

Yellow  (Orange  Chrome). — Use  orange  chrome  yellow 
or  same  plus  a touch  of  vermilion. 

Yellow  (Light  Orange  Chrome). — Use  orange  chrome 
vellow  and  a little  white  lead. 

Yellow  (Brass). — White  lead,  40  parts;  light  chrome 
yellow,  12  parts;  raw  umber,  1 part;  burnt  umber,  1 
part. 

Yellow  (Bronze). — White  lead,  10  parts;  lemon 
chrome,  4 parts ; raw  umber,  5 parts. 

Yellow  (Buttercup) . — Middle  chrome. 


COLORS  AND  COLOR  HARMONY 


83 


Yellow  (Canary). — White  lead,  10  parts;  lemon 
chrome,  1 part. 

Yellow  (Chamoline). — Raw  sienna,  3 parts;  lemon 
3^ellow,  1 part ; white  lead,  5 parts. 

Yellow  (Chamois). — White,  4 parts;  yellow  ochre,  5 
parts;  green,  1 part. 

Yellow  ( Citrine). — Raw  umber.  2 parts;  lemon  chrome 
yellow,  5 parts. 

Yellow  (Golden). — Middle  chrome,  16  parts;  yellow 
ochre,  1 part. 

Yellow  (Italian). — Yellow  ochre,  14  parts;  burnt  um- 
ber, 1 part. 

Yellow  (Jonquil). — Indigo,  1 part;  light  red,  2 parts; 
white  lead,  16  parts ; tint  with  chrome  yellow. 

Yellow  (Lemon). — Lemon  chrome. 

Yellow  (Olive). — Burnt  umber,  3 parts;  lemon  chrome 
yellow,  1 part. 

Yellow  (Primrose). — Pale  zinc  chrome. 

Yellow  (Transparent). — Yellow  ochre,  1 part;  barytes, 
10  parts. 


CHAPTER  V 
WORKING  OPERATIONS 

Size  of  Stencil. — The  size  of  a stencil  ornament  must 
be  carefully  figured  in  proportion  to  the  size  of  the  room 
or  the  panel.  It  will  not  look  well  if  either  too  large  or 
too  small  in  size.  A large  stencil  is  needed  for  large  wall 
spaces  and  high  ceilings;  a small  one  for  small  panels 
and  walls. 

The  higher  up  and  farther  away  a stencil  is  used,  the 
stronger  it  may  be  made  in  both  design  and  coloring, 
in  order  to  assure  its  being  seen.  Likewise,  rooms  that 
are  not  well  lighted  permit  the  use  of  stronger  coloring 
and  designs  than  may  be  used  in  light  rooms. 

The  surest  way  to  handle  such  problems  is  to  lay  out 
roughly  large  rooms,  such  as  church  auditoriums,  lodge 
halls,  etc.,  to  scale  on  a piece  of  paper.  By  this  means 
you  can  easily  work  out  the  problem  before  hand,  and 
determine  stencil  sizes,  the  number  of  repeats,  the  con- 
nections, and  colors. 

It  is  not  best  to  combine  stencil  patterns  with  other 
means  of  decoration ; that  is,  with  wall  paper,  for  in- 
stance. 

When  to  Transfer  Stencils. — Ordinary  stencils,  color 
stencils,  and  background  stencils  are  transferred  to  the 
wall  after  the  ground  coat  and  the  glazing  coat  have 
been  completed  and  are  dry. 

Outline  stencils  are  to  be  transferred  to  the  ground 
coats  when  dry,  and  before  any  glazing  color  has  been 
put  on.  Outline  stencils  should  become  dry  before  be- 
ginning to  glaze  over  them.  The  design  will  show 
through  the  glazing  coat.  The  glazing  color  ought  to  be 


WORKING  OPERATIONS 


85 


wiped  out  between  the  lines  of  an  outline  stencil,  so  that 
the  ground  color  will  show  through. 

LAYING  OUT  FOR  STENCILS  AND  SPACING 

The  best  decorators  usually  mark  off  with  a chalkline 
a horizontal  center  line,  or  two  lines  defining  the  outer 
edges  of  the  stencil  to  be  transferred.  The  chalkline  is 
coated  with  chalk,  held  taut  against  the  wall  by  a man 
at  each  end,  and  then,  by  pulling  the  center  of  the  line 
away  a few  inches  and  letting  go,  a straight  chalk  mark 
is  snapped  on  the  wall. 

Practically  every  room  is  out  of  plumb  and  is  not 
level.  Rooms  do  not  measure  accurately.  You  can  see, 
then,  the  necessity  of  having  chalklines  carefully  laid 
out  by  measure,  which  can  be  followed  with  the  stencil 
plate. 

With  a repeat  pattern,  one  setting  may  be  out  of  line 
only  a small  fraction  of  an  inch,  but  by  the  time  several 
settings  or  transfers  have  been  made,  the  inaccuracy  be- 
comes so  great  that  the  pattern  does  not  match  up  and 
does  not  run  straight. 

It  is  often  advisable  to  run  chalklines  both  horizontally 
and  vertically,  notably  with  all-over  diaper  stencils,  in 
order  to  secure  accuracy.  The  horizontal  lines  are 
marked  off  a certain  number  of  inches  below  or  above 
a picture  mould,  below  a cove  mould  or  cornice,  regard- 
less of  the  fact  that  in  so  doing  the  line  at  one  end  of  the 
room  may  not  be  the  same  distance  from  the  floor  as  at 
the  other  end.  In  other  words,  make  your  stencil  run 
exactly  parallel  with  the  picture  mould,  or  whatever  line 
it  is  nearest  to,  and  not  with  the  floor. 

Perpendicular  lines  had  best  be  run  perfectly  straight 
up  and  down,  because  the  corner  lines  on  each  side  of 
the  wall  may  be  running  at  different  angles  from  each 
other.  Take  a carpenter’s  plumbline,  mark  off  a true 
vertical  line  in  the  center  of  each  wall  with  it,  and 


86 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIK  USE 


then  mark  all  other  vertical  lines,  if  any  are  needed, 
parallel  to  it. 

It  is  especially  necessary  to  run  these  true  chalk  lines 
when  placing  all-over  or  diaper  stencils.  A line  being 
out  of  place  even  as  little  as  one-eighth  of  an  inch  at  one 
end,  will  cause  a misfit  of  the  pattern.  It  will  not  match 
at  the  end. 

Where  to  begin  the  transfer  of  a stencil  design  is  often 
a little  puzzling  at  first  thought.  The  answer  to  the 
question  will  come  easily,  however,  after  sizing  up  the 
room  construction  and  noting  the  character  of  the 
stencil. 

Certain  stencils  consist  of  a succession  of  figures,  re- 
])eated  constantly  like  the  links  of  a chain,  while  others 
include  continuous  lines  that  are  broken  regularly  by 
figures  in  pairs,  triplets,  or  quads,  like  the  grapevine  de- 
sign in  Plate  19,  with  its  clusters  of  grapes  and  of  leaves. 

The  first  class  of  stencils  can  obviously  be  placed  on 
the  wall  to  begin  and  end  without  reference  to  spacing, 
except  the  last  link  or  two  in  the  chain,  which  you  may 
have  to  make  a little  longer  or  shorter  than  the  others, 
to  make  it  meet  the  first  one.  A continuous  design,  like 
the  chain  bands,  is  usually  started  on  the  right-hand  side 
of  the  wall  and  transferred  working  to  the  left. 

It  is  not  so  with  the  second  class  of  stencils.  They 
ought  to  be  started  at  a point  on  the  wall  that  will  locate 
the  principal  parts  of  the  design  regularly  in  the  panels 
or  spaces  between  corners,  rather  than  have  an  odd  num- 
ber of  groups  in  a wide  panel  poorly  spaced,  or  have  a 
principal  part  finished  in  a corner.  It  may  be  necessary 
to  transfer  the  lines  or  band  portions  of  this  stencil 
(which  connect  the  principal  parts)  more  often  than 
the  strong  parts,  to  gain  a nice  balance  and  spacing.  See 
Plate  20,  the  central  illustration. 

When  three  sides  of  a wall  have  been  stenciled 
with  a pattern  of  the  second  class,  and  the  central 


WORKING  OPERATIONS 


87 


Plate  20. — Methods  of  Laying  Out  and  Spacing  Stencils. 


88 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


figures  are  nicely  spaced,  turn  the  corner  on  to  the 
fourth  side  and  transfer  one  section.  Now  measure 
the  wall  yet  to  be  stenciled;  divide  this  distance  by  the 
length  of  your  stencil,  and  you  get  the  number  of  times 
you  must  use  the  stencil  to  finish  the  wall.  Probably  it 
will  figure  so  that  a certain  number  of  transfers  will  fall 
short  or  be  too  long  to  match  up  exactly  at  the  begin- 
ning. 

Thus,  if,  for  instance,  five  transfers  of  the  stencil  fall 
short  of  meeting  the  other  end  of  the  stencil  by  five 
inches,  you  must  gain  one  inch  on  each  of  the  five  settings 
of  the  stencil  to  come  out  even.  So,  in  using  the  grape- 
vine stencil  mentioned,  begin  your  second  transfer,  after 
turning  the  last  corner  on  this  wall,  one  inch  from  the 
end  of  the  previous  setting,  and  so  on  with  each  transfer 
of  the  stencil,  and  you  will  have  gained  five  inches  and 
come  out  evenly  matched.  Fill  in  the  one-inch  breaks  by 
freehand,  or  with  the  stencil  over  them. 

A7iother  Method. — Another  and  better  way,  perhaps, 
to  handle  a design  composed  of  strong  or  principal  fig- 
ures recurring  regularly,  is  to  mark  a chalk  line  up  and 
down  in  the  center  of  each  of  the  four  walls.  Place  the 
center  of  the  grapevine  stencil  over  the  line  and  trans- 
fer the  first  impression  to  the  wall.  Place  the  next  set- 
ting to  the  right,  and  continue  the  impressions  until  the 
last  setting  of  the  stencil  brings  the  design  within  a foot 
or  so  of  the  corner.  Then,  go  back  to  the  center  and 
transfer  the  pattern  until  near  the  left  corner  in  the 
samg  manner.  Stencil  all  four  walls  in  this  way,  leav- 
ing the  corners  unfinished  until  the  last.  By  the  time 
you  get  around  to  them  the  paint  on  the  corner  ends 
of  the  stencil  pattern  will  be  dry  enough  to  work  over 
and  you  can  then  crease  the  stencil  and  carry  the  design 
around  the  corner  and  match  up  at  both  ends.  Do  not 
permit  the  leaves  and  grapes  to  locate  in  the  corners, 
but  on  either  side.  Plate  20  shows  this  method  of  laying 


WORKING  OPERATIONS 


89 


out  the  work.  This  method  will  not  succeed  with  all 
stencil  designs,  however. 

Treatment  of  Mantels,  Etc. — When  a room  includes  a 
chimney,  fireplace,  or  mantel,  the  stencil  design  should  be 
so  started  as  to  bring  one,  two,  or  three  of  the  principal 
figures  so  as  to  occupy  the  wall  over  the  chimney  in  a 
balanced  manner.  See  the  center  illustration,  Plate  20. 

In  placing  detached  spot  designs,  study  the  room  con- 
struction. Note  about  how  many  settings  will  look  best. 
Measure  to  locate  them,  and  then  proceed  to  transfer 
these  impressions  first.  When  all  are  on,  place  chalk 
lines  running  between  these  principal  figures,  to  mark 
the  location  of  the  stencil  band  or  lines  which  are  to  con- 
nect all  figures  into  one  continuous  scheme. 

Arrange  to  have  equal  spaces  between  these  principal 
figures,  or  at  least  balance  up  the  spaces  on  walls  of  the 
same  size.  Do  not,  however,  place  any  of  the  central 
motifs  in  corners. 

HOW  TO  TRANSFER  THE  STENCIL 

Tidiness  in  keeping  the  back  of  the  stencil  and  your 
fingers  clear  of  color,  so  that  the  wall  will  not  become 
marked  and  soiled,  is  the  first  requirement  for  a success- 
ful transfer.  The  stencil  must  lie  fiat  on  the  wall  in 
transferring  it.  Have  a clean  pot  and  brush  for  each 
color.  A picture  mould  or  chalk  line  should  be  used  as 
a guide  to  keep  the  stencil  running  straight  and  in  the 
proper  place. 

When  a pattern  is  continuous  and  is  to  be  regularly 
repeated  time  after  time,  it  is,  for  the  sake  of  general  ef- 
fect, absolutely  necessary  that  the  impressions  sliall  be 
joined  together  so  accurately  that  not  the  slightest  un- 
evenness is  left  to  show  where  the  joints  occur. 

To  make  it  easy  to  connect  up  each  section  of  a con- 
tinuous stencil  band,  which  is  transferred  one  section  at 
a time,  the  stencils  are  usually  so  designed  that  the  last 


90 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


portion  of  the  pattern  on  the  stencil  plate  is  incomplete. 
Perhaps  only  one-half  of  the  last  leaf  or  bunch  of  grapes, 
for  instance,  shows  on  the  plate.  Or  sometimes  one  extra 
leaf  or  stem  from  a group  is  shown  on  the  left-hand  side 
of  the  stencil  plate,  as  a guide  to  follow  when  the  plate 
is  lifted  to  transfer  the  next  section.  The  right-hand 
side  of  the  stencil  plate  is  then  lapped  over  the  last  fig- 
ure transferred  to  the  wall,  which  insures  perfect  regis- 
ter and  alignment.  See  Chapter  III  about  guide  marks. 

Begin  to  transfer  the  stencil  in  the  right-hand  corner 
or  center  of  the  wall,  holding  it  with  the  left  hand  and 
using  the  brush  with  the  right.  Hold  the  brush  at  right 
angles  to  the  stencil.  With  the  stencil  plate  on  the  wall 
the  brush  handle  should  point  straight  out  toward  you. 
The  brush  should  be  used  like  a hammer  rather  than  be 
rubbed  over  the  stencil,  as  a brush  ordinarily  is  used. 
Swing  the  brush  back  and  forth,  so  it  will  pound  the 
wall  through  the  stencil  holes. 

When  the  brush  is  held  at  any  other  angle  than  a right 
angle,  the  bristles  get  under  the  stencil  and  produce  a 
ragged,  mussy  edge. 

When  the  transfer  is  complete  in  the  first  position,  lift 
the  stencil  carefully,  pulling  it  straight  out  to  avoid 
smearing.  Wipe  off  the  back  of  the  stencil  plate  as  often 
as  is  necessary  with  benzine,  to  keep  it  clean.  To  avoid 
injury,  lay  the  stencil  on  a flat  surface  when  wiping  it  off. 

Have  a helper  hold  the  stencil  for  you  at  first,  or  fasten 
it  to  the  wall  with  push  pins.  Large  stencils  are  usually 
a two-man  job,  or  they  must  be  fastened  with  push  pins 
so  that  the  left  hand  is  free  to  press  the  stencil  against 
the  wall  while  working  the  brush  over  the  openings.  It 
is  an  advantage  at  times  to  tack  a strip  of  wood,  like  a 
lath,  on  the  top  and  on  the  bottom  of  large  stencils, 
to  help  hold  them  in  place.  Tack  it  on  the  face  of  the 
stencil,  letting  the  brads  go  through  and  extend  beyond 


WORKING  OPERATIONS 


91 


the  stencil  plate  a trifle.  The  points  will  help  hold  the 
stencil  steady  by  penetrating’  the  wall  a little. 

Gelatine  Mixture. — A gelatine  mixture  is  used  some- 
times to  eliminate  the  use  of  stencil  pins  or  push  pins 
when  working  with  stencil  plates.  One.ounce  of  gelatine 
is  soaked  for  twenty-four  hours  in  four  ounces  of  water, 
and  then  heated  in  the  inner  vessel  of  a double  pot, 
water  being  placed  in  the  outer  vessel.  The  whole  is 
placed  over  a slow  fire.  (A  glue  pot  answers  the  purpose 
admirably.)  When  melted,  six  ounces  of  glycerine  are 
added  and  two  ounces  of  fine  sugar,  all  the  ingredients 
being  measured  by  weight.  The  mixture  should  be  al- 
lowed to  get  fairly  hot,  but  not  to  boil.  For  some  sur- 
faces, such  as  flat  paint  and  distemper,  a somewhat 
stiffer  mixture,  obtained  by  using  more  gelatine,  will 
give  better  results  and  not  leave  marks  on  the  surface. 

The  four  corners  of  the  stencil  plate  (and  one  or  two 
other  convenient  points  if  the  stencil  plate  be  large)  are 
coated  with  the  hot  mixture  and  allowed  to  cool.  If  the 
places  to  be  coated  are  punctured  with  a number  of  fine 
holes  first,  the  coating  will  adhere  quite  firmly.  The  burr 
caused  by  puncturing  should  be  removed  with  glasspaper 
before  coating,  or  the  projections  may  prevent  the  tacky 
surface  from  properly  adhering  to  the  wall  during  opera- 
tions. 

A stencil  plate  so  treated  has  only  to  be  laid  on  the 
surface  and  pressed  into  contact,  and  it  will  remain  fixed 
in  its  place  while  the  stencil  brush  is  operated.  It  can 
be  removed  at  will,  leaving  no  trace  of  its  attachment. 
This  method  not  only  saves  time,  but  it  does  away 
with  the  unsightly  holes  made  by  the  use  of  stencil 
pins. 

Masks  for  use  with  stencil  plates  can  be  temporarily 
fixed  in  like  manner,  in  cases  where  it  is  necessary  to 
prevent  some  of  the  cut-out  ])laces  becoming  marked 
with  the  color  of  the  remaining  cut-outs. 


92 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


A pot  of  the  gelatine  mixture  will  keep  almost  in- 
definitely and  can  always  be  warmed  up  for  use. 

Keeping  the  Color'  Even. — AVlien  transferring  stencil 
impressions  to  a wall,  a surprisingly  dry  brush  works 
best.  Kuns,  round  edges,  and  messy  effects  result  nine 
times  out  of  ten  from  too  much  color  in  the  brush,  or 
from  using  a too  thin  color  mixture. 

Never  dip  the  stencil  brush  in  a pot  of  color.  Use 
another  small  brush  to  spread  a little  of  the  color  on  a 
board  or  a palette.  Then  pick  up  the  color  from  the 
board  on  the  bristle  ends  of  the  stencil  brush.  When 
the  color  works  up  into  the  heel  of  the  brush  after  long 
use,  wash  it  out.  By  this  method  you  can  easily  keep  a 
uniform  amount  of  color  on  the  board,  in  the  brush  and 
on  the  stencil  design. 

It  is  essential  that  you  add  a little  turpentine  to  your 
pot  of  color  every  few  hours,  to  make  up  for  that  which 
has  evaporated.  If  you  do  not,  the  stencil  pattern  will 
not  possess  a uniform  color. 

The  Stencil  Brush. — (See  Plate  19.)  Stencil  brushes 
of  various  sizes  can  be  had  from  % of  an  inch  to  3 inches 
in  diameter.  Use  No.  2 for  small  and  No.  4 for  large 
stencils.  It  is  important  that  the  correct  size  brush  be 
used  for  each  stencil. 

Use  of  the  Sponge. — For  the  purpose  of  transferring 
a stencil  impression  in  calcimine,  cold  water  paint,  or 
distemper,  a sponge  is  the  tool  to  use  rather  than  a sten- 
cil brush.  Soak  the  sponge  in  cold  water  and  then 
squeeze  out  as  much  as  possible.  Mix  the  color  and  size 
stiff,  so  that  it  can  be  pressed  into  a cake  and  will  hold 
together.  If  you  get  it  too  hard,  the  sponge  will  not 
pick  it  up.  Kub  the  sponge  over  the  cake  to  pick  up 
color,  hold  the  stencil  close  to  the  wall  with  the  fingers, 
and  proceed  to  rub  the  colored  tips  of  the  sponge  over 
the  stencil  openings  in  a circular  manner.  DonT  press 
too  hard,  and  don’t  rub  straight  over  the  openings,  or 


WORKING  OPERATIONS 


9:? 

runs  are  likely  to  occur  to  spoil  the  work.  The  sponge 
must  not  contain  too  much  water  or  color.  A com- 
paratively dry  sponge  makes  the  cleanest  and  sharpest 
impression. 

A small  sponge  is  sometimes  used  for  oil  color  stencil- 
ing to  produce  a little  different  effect  than  with  a brush. 
The  sponge  must  be  cleaned  out  in  benzine  often. 

MIXING  STENCIL  COLORS 

Colors  used  in  transferring  stencils  may  be  either  tube 
glazing  colors  or  ordinary  house  tinting  colors  which 
have  been  thinned  with  the  glazing  liquid,  composed  of 
one-fourth  linseed  oil  and  three-fourths  turpentine.  Some 
painters  prefer  three-fourths  turps  and  one-fourth  japan 
gold  size. 

In  Tiffany  wall  glazing,  the  outline  stencil  is  trans- 
ferred with  burnt  umber  usually,  regardless  of  the  colors 
that  will  finally  be  used  to  fill  in  the  stencil,  althougli 
it  is  not  necessary  to  use  it.  Any  dark  color  will  do. 
An  outline  stencil  transferred  with  whiting,  dry  raw 
umber,  and  glue  water  will  dry  quickly,  so  that  you  can 
glaze  immediately  over  it. 

Color  mixed  for  stencil  use  ought  to  be  of  a thick  con- 
sistency, about  like  thick  cream.  Do  not  use  too  much 
japan,  or  the  color  will  dry  with  a gloss. 

Opaque  colors  are  mixed  by  tinting  white  lead  to  the 
desired  shade  with  oil-ground  colors,  and  thinning  the 
same  as  for  transparent  colors. 

To  Stencil  on  Calcimine. — For  this  purpose  use  colors 
ground  in  turpentine  and  thinned  with  japan  gold  size, 
colors  ground  in  japan  and  thinned  with  turpentine,  or 
colors  ground  in  oil  and  thinned  with  gasoline.  It  is  well 
to  draw  the  oil  out  of  the  lead  first  by  mixing  with  ben- 
zine and  letting  it  settle.  A little  japan  gold  size  ought  to 
be  added  as  a binder.  Sometimes  one  of  these  will  work 
better  than  the  others.  Try  the  color  on  a hidden  or  re- 


94 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


mote  portion  of  the  room  before  stenciling  the  whole 
room.  It  will  be  easy  to  see  whether  the  color  is  going 
to  spread  or  not. 

When  calcimining  a wall  to  be  stenciled,  the  size  binder 
ought  to  be  made  stronger  than  the  binder  of  the  stencil 
color. 

Another  way  to  stencil  with  calcimine,  water  or  dis- 
temper colors  on  the  same  kind  of  surface,  is  to  mix 
the  dry  color  to  a paste  with  water  and  add  a little  cooked 
starch  to  bind  it  together.  A few  drops  of  turpentine  in 
the  water  will  help  prevent  clogging  of  the  stencil. 

While  stenciling  with  w^ater  colors  and  calcimine,  the 
paper  stencil  gets  soft  from  the  water  and  must  be  dried 
out  every  little  while.  Have  two  stencils,  so  one  can  be 
drying  while  you  are  working  with  the  other. 

To  Stencil  on  Paper. — Use  colors  ground  in  oil  or  lead, 
tinted  to  suit.  Mix  first  with  benzine,  let  stand,  and 
pour  off  all  liquid.  Mix  again  with  gasoline  or  benzine 
and  a little  japan  gold  size  to  bind  it. 

STENCILING  WITH  METAL  BRONZES  AND  LEAF 

For  theater  decoration,  churches,  and  in  some  other 
places  it  is  sometimes  desirable  to  transfer  a whole 
stencil  pattern  in  gold,  copper,  silver,  or  aluminum 
bronze,  or  a mixture  of  two  of  these.  There  is  also  fre- 
quent occasion  to  produce  nice  effects  on  spot  designs 
used  in  panels,  as  shown  by  Plate  21.  Comparatively 
small  areas,  termed  jeivel  points,  can  be  nicely  set  off  in 
bright  metal  leaf  or  bronze,  and  it  will  improve  the  whole 
decorative  scheme. 

Bronze  Powders. — For  the  application  of  gold,  silver, 
copper,  or  aluminum  bronze  powders,  either  oil  gold  size 
or  japan  gold  size  can  be  used  with  a stencil  in  the  ordin- 
ary way.  Japan  gold  size  is  preferred.  With  it  the 
metal  doesn’t  tarnish  as  soon  as  with  oil  gold  size. 

Oil  gold  size  will  set  in  about  24  hours  and  become 


WORKING.  OPERATIONS 


95 


96  NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 

ready  for  gilding.  Japan  gold  size  will  be  sufficiently 
tacky  in  from  10  to  30  minutes,  according  to  its  drying 
power.  The  period  of  time  during  which  the  metal 
powder  or  leaf  may  be  applied  to  japan  gold  size  is  much 
shorter  than  with  oil  size. 

Bronze  powders  can  then  be  dusted  on  with  a pad  of 
cotton  when  the  size  is  just  sticky  enough  to  hold  it.  If 
you  wait  too  long,  the  size  will  set  hard  and  then  the 
bronze  will  not  adhere  to  it.  It  is  well  to  add  a little 
color  to  the  size,  red  for  gold,  yellow  for  copper,  etc. 

Or  another  and  quicker  way  is  by  use  of  the  following 
mixture  put  on  with  a stencil  brush  : Mix  bronze  powder 
with  1 gill  pure  honey  to  a smooth  paste,  1 teaspoonful 
refined  glycerine,  enough  soft  water  (boiled)  to  make  of 
the  right  consistency  for  the  brush.  If  it  sets  too  rapidly, 
add  more  glycerine. 

Or  mix  the  bronze  powder  with  good  varnish,  thinned 
with  turpentine  or  benzine  to  brushing  consistency.  Put 
on  with  a brush.  Bronzing  liquid  will  also  do. 

Metal  Leaf. — Gold,  silver,  and  aluminum  metal  leaf, 
also  Dutch  metal  leaf,  are  put  on  to  small  areas  and 
jewel  spots  in  the  same  manner  as  the  sign  painter  uses 
it  for  letters.  The  areas  are  coated  with  japan  gold 
size  or  oil  gold  size  (using  a small  fitch  as  the  brush),  and 
allowed  to  stand  until  sticky  enough  to  hold  the  leaf. 
Then  the  leaf  is  picked  up  out  of  the  book  with  a gilder ’s 
tip  (a  brush),  after  rubbing  it  on  the  hair  of  the  head  to 
gather  static  electricity.  The  leaf  can  then  be  laid  on  to 
the  sticky  size.  Smooth  down  with  a wad  of  cotton  and 
let  dry.  After  twelve  hours  burnish  the  metal  with  cot- 
ton and  brush  off  the  ragged  edges  of  the  leaf  which  are 
outside  of  the  design  being  gilded.  The  size  is  brushed 
on  only  within  the  outline  of  the  part  of  the  design  to 
be  gilded,  but  the  leaf  is  put  on  in  square  shaped  pieces 
which  overlap  the  edges  of  the  design.  The  leaf  will  ad- 
here only  where  there  is  size. 


WORKING  OPERATIONS 


9T 


Do  not  lay  the  metal  leaf  on  to  the  size  too  soon,  that 
is,  while  the  size  can  be  pushed  around  on  the  surface 
with  the  finger,  or  the  metal  will  become  dull  soon  after 
applying  it.  If  you  wait  too  long,  the  size  will  dry  hard 
and  then  the  metal  will  not  adhere  to  it  at  all.  Follow 
the  directions,  as  to  time  allowed  for  ^tting,  given  by 
the  manufacturers  of  the  size  being  used. 

Brightening  Jewel  Points. — There  are  various  ways  to 
fill  in  these  spot  designs  to  make  them  brighten  up  and 
add  life  to  the  room.  As  just  suggested,  they  may  be 
filled  in  solid  with  bronze  powder  or  with  metal  leaf  and 
burnished.  Then,  if  varnished  to  exclude  the  oxidizing 
action  of  the  air,  the  metal  will  remain  bright  for  a long 
time. 

Sometimes  these  jewel  points  are  filled  in  solid  with 
brilliant  reds,  yellows,  greens,  and  blues  in  opaque 
colors,  instead  of  metal. 

However  filled  in,  whether  with  metal  or  opaque  color, 
it  is  well  to  brush  on  a thin  glaze  coat  of  transparent 
color  over  the  top  of  the  metal  or  opaque  color.  This 
gives  a depth  and  sheen  which  enriches  the  ground  color. 

For  instance,  if  the  ground  is  gold  bronze,  gold  leaf, 
or  bright  chrome  yellow,  coat  over  the  top  with  a thin 
glaze,  a stain,  made  by  thinning  American  vermilion  or 
rose  lake,  with  one-fourth  linseed  oil  and  three-fourths 
turpentine,  or  use  varnish  and  turpentine  as  a thinner. 
Over  a silver,  aluminum,  or  white  ground,  lay  a cobalt 
blue  glaze.  Over  copper  or  gold  ground  lay  a medium 
chrome  green  glaze. 


TURNING  CORNERS 

In  turning  corners  when  stenciling  a wall,  first  bend 
the  stencil  by  laying  it  down  flat  on  a table  and  placing 
a straight-edge  at  the  point  where  the  bend  is  to  come. 
Bend  the  stencil  over  with  the  hand  to  crease  it  sufficient- 
ly. The  point  at  which  to  make  the  crease  is  determined 


98 


NEW  STENX'ILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


by  measuring,  after  transferring  the  stencil  pattern  to 
within  a few  feet  of  the  corner  to  be  turned. 

A corner  chimney  that  projects  can  be  stenciled  with- 
out bending  the  stencil ; that  is,  transfer  one  side  of  the 
chimney  at  a time.  An  extra  stencil  for  corners  is  handy. 

Turning  a Miter  Corner. — To  turn  a corner  with  some 
stencils,  transfer  them  nearly  up  to  the  corner,  letting 
about  one-half  of  the  stencil  plate  run  over  and  beyond 
the  point  where  the  turn  comes.  Place  a rule  or  piece  of 
paper  over  the  stencil  plate  at  the  correct  angle  to  form 
the  corner  miter.  Hold  with  left  hand  and  transfer  the 
stencil  up  to  the  corner.  See  Plate  21.  Take  up  the 
stencil  plate,  turn  the  corner,  and  repeat  by  holding  the 
rule  over  the  half  of  the  corner  just  transferred,  and  in 
the  position  indicated  by  the  drawing. 

TOUCHING  UP  TIES 

Difference  of  opinion  has  long  existed  among  dec- 
orators as  to  the  advisability  of  touching  up  stencil  im- 
pressions with  a brush,  to  rectify  imperfections  and  to 
eliminate  the  blank  spaces  left  by  the  ties.  On  outline 
stencils  it  should  not  be  done. 

From  the  standpoint  of  the  labor  cost  of  touching  up 
many  rough  places,  it  is  obvious  that  the  objection  is 
well  founded.  From  the  artistic  viewpoint,  the  prac- 
tice is  objected  to  justly,  because  the  brush  touching-up 
must  be  skillfully  done  or  shiny  spots  of  color,  brush 
marks,  and  a different  texture  will  be  noticed.  If  the 
stencil  is  so  poorly  cut  as  to  make  much  touching  up 
necessary,  cut  a better  one.  If  the  man  is  careless  about 
his  color,  correct  him.  Clean  stencils  (both  sides)  and 
ordinary  care  will  do  away  with  touching  up. 

As  to  painting  out  the  tie  marks, — many  stencils  are 
so  artistically  designed  that  the  tie  blanks  are  an  ad- 
dition to  their  good  appearance.  Plates  5,  13  and  17 
show  designs,  the  ties  in  which  ought  not  to  be  filled  in. 


WORKING  OPERATIONS 


99 


On  the  other  hand  it  is  poor  judgment  to  permit  such 
designs  as  1804  and  1212  on  Plate  1 to  be  considered 
finished  without  touching  up  the  ties. 

Use  color  and  turpentine,  no  oil,  for  touching  up. 
A fine  soft  brush  is  needed  and  do  not  make  a single  un- 
necessary stroke  of  the  brush.  Cover  the  spot  with  ma- 
terial and  let  it  alone.  Fill  in  ties  while  the  stencil  color 
is  wet.  Brushing  makes  shiny  spots.  Also  remember 
that  the  stencil  brush  makes  a rough  surface.  Don’t 
make  your  touched-up  spots  too  smooth. 

FILLING  IN  COLOR  ON  OUTLINE  STENCILS 

Before  beginning  this  work  it  is  obviously  necessary 
that  the  stencil  shall  have  been  transferred  to  the  sur 
face,  in  burnt  umber  color  or  with  a dull  gray  green.  It 
may  be  transferred,  of  course,  with  any  color  which  fits 
in  with  your  color  scheme,  but  usually  it  is  brown  or  dull 
green  outline,  as  stated.  This  should  be  dry  before  filh 
ing  in  with  other  colors. 

Colors  used  for  filling  in  purposes  are  the  semi-trans- 
parent glaze  colors  listed  in  the  chapter  on  color.  Opaque 
colors  are  seldom  used,  but  can  be  for  emphasizing  cer- 
tain parts  of  the  ornament.  Thin  the  color  to  a brush- 
ing consistency  with  turpentine.  When  it  sets  up  too 
quickly  to  permit  brushing  it  out  smoothly,  add  a few 
drops  of  linseed  oil.  Make  no  attempt  to  cover  the  sur- 
face solidly  to  hide  it.  Just  stain  the  surface  within  the 
outline  of  the  design,  permitting  the  ground  color  and 
the  brown  or  gray  color  of  the  stencil  to  show  through 
the  glaze  color.  Spread  the  glaze  color  over  the  top  of 
the  stencil  lines,  as  well  as  between  the  lines. 

Filling  in  outline  stencils  after  the  glaze  coat  of  Tif- 
fany finish  or  last  coat  of  flat  wall  paint  has  become  dry, 
is  freehand  work  and  is  accomplished  by  the  use  of 
round  and  flat  fitches  of  various  sizes,  ranging  from 
about  % inch  to  1 inch  according  to  tlie  size  of  the  stencil. 


100 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


You  will  need  some  sharp,  also  square  point  fitches. 
See  Plate  22.  Begin  filling  in  the  stencil  by  coloring  one 
part,  for  instance  the  flower  or  leaves,  that  may  form  the 
central  portion  of  conventional  patterns.  Carry  the 
operation  all  around  the  room  before  beginning  with  the 
next  color. 


Plate  22. — Fitches  Used  in  Stenciling  : Below,  Suggested  Treatment  of 
a Small  Pond-Lily  Border. 


If  two  colors  are  to  be  used  on  the  central  figure  of 
the  pattern,  fill  in  the  light  color  first  at  the  outer  edge 
of  flowers,  the  conventional  design,  or  the  outer  tips  of 
the  leaves.  The  center  of  the  figure  is  then  filled  in 
with  a darker  color,  to  form  the  shadows.  For  shading 
have  the  brush  nearly  dry.  Too  much  color  in  it  spoils 


WORKING  OPERATIONS 


101 


the  work.  With  a clean  brush  blend  the  light  color 
gradually  into  the  darker  center  color.  Do  not  begin  the 
other  way  around,  working  the  dark  color  into  the  light, 
because  you  will  then  get  the  entire  figure  too  dark. 

When  making  outline  stencils,  such  as  that  shown  in 
the  lower  left-hand  corner  of  Plate  17,  which  are  usually 
filled  in  freehand  with  a small  fitch,  using  semi-trans- 
parent colors,  it  is  often  desirable  on  large  walls  and 
when  the  work  has  been  taken  at  a low  price,  to  make  a 
second  stencil  plate  which  will  fill  in  the  color  between 
the  lines  of  the  outline  stencil.  That  saves  labor,  as  the 
filling  in  of  color  progresses  much  more  rapidly  using  a 
stencil  than  when  a fitch  is  the  tool. 

In  the  lower  right-hand  corner  of  Plate  17  is  shown 
the  impression  from  the  stencil  plate  used  to  fill  in  a 
color  on  the  outline  stencil  impression  to  the  left  of  it. 
The  making  of  this  second  color  plate  is  simple.  Transfer 
an  impression  from  the  outline  stencil  plate  to  a clean 
sheet  of  stencil  paper.  Then  mark  off  ties  and  cut  out 
the  solid  paper  between  the  lines. 

Working  on  the  wall  with  these  two  stencil  plates,  the 
one  to  the  lower  right  of  Plate  17  would  be  transferred 
first  in  one  color, — a light  color  usually.  Then  the  out- 
line stencil  would  be  transferred  on  top  of  it  in  a darker 
color,  often  raw  or  burnt  umber.  The  outline  stencil 
plate  simply  makes  a dark  border  around  the  light  color 
put  on  by  the  color  plate. 

In  coloring  flowers  the  tips  of  the  petals  should,  of 
course,  show  the  light  tint  and  the  darker  shade  comes  in 
the  center  of  the  flower.  With  fruit,  pottery,  and  the 
like,  decide  beforehand  where  the  high  light  would 
naturally  fall;  then  shade  outward  from  there  to  the 
edge,  making  the  color  darkest  around  the  high  light. 

It  is  sometimes  desirable  to  blend  together  two  or  more 
colors  that  may  come  alongside  of  each  other.  It  may 
easily  be  accomplished  by  lightly  patting  the  work  with 


1U2 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


a small  wad  of  cheese  cloth,  but  do  not  rub  it.  Blending 
colors  does  not  mean  mixing  them  together  to  form  a 
third  color.  It  means  spreading  one  clear  color  over 
another,  so  that  both  remain  pure.  When  worked  too 
long  they  mix. 

When  filling  in  stencils,  avoid  violent  contrasts  and 
spotty  stencil  effects.  Fill  in  every  other,  or  every  fourth 
or  fifth,  flower  or  space  if  necessary  to  preserve  the  con- 
tinuity of  design  and  avoid  spotty  effects.  A uniform 
soft  general  effect  is  the  standard  to  work  for. 

WIPING  OUT  HIGH  LIGHTS  AND  SHADING 

Light  and  shadow  in  leaves  can  be  obtained  as  above, 
or  fill  in  the  leaves  solidly  with  the  dark  color,  and  with 
?v  piece  of  cheese  cloth  wrapped  around  the  first  finger, 
wipe  the  color  out  of  the  tips  of  the  leaves,  allowing  the 
light-colored  ground  coat  to  show  through  and  form  the 
high  light.  Wipe  lengthwise  of  the  leaf,  not  across.  It 
may  be  necessary  to  dampen  the  cloth  with  turps. 

The  same  may  be  done  in  producing  high  lights  on 
fruit  or  other  details  that  ought  to  show  them.  Con- 
ventional designs  and  geometrical  figures  are  often  wiped 
out  in  the  centers  or  in  other  portions  arbitrarily,  taking 
care  only  to  give  a good  effect. 

Study  flowers  particularly  for  the  light  and  shade  of 
color,  which  may  be  carried  out  even  in  conventional 
flower  patterns.  Notice  that  the  coloring  is  not  such  as 
can  be  represented  by  the  use  of  raw,  crude,  solid  paint 
colors.  For  instance,  tone  down  a strong  green  with  a 
touch  of  red,  or  for  stems  and  vines  with  a touch  of  brown 
or  black.  Prussian  blue  should  be  toned  down  lightly 
with  lampblack  and  red,  as  it  is  not  a good  color  by  it- 
self. 

In  some  instances  ordinary  one-color  stencils  (not  out- 
line) are  filled  in  with  color,  using  the  stencil  brush. 
Then  while  the  stencil  plate  is  still  in  place,  the  high 


WORKING  OPERATIONS 


103 


lights  are  wiped  out  and  shading  is  done  at  the  same 
time. 

Two-toned  effects,  obtained  by  the  use  of  one  color  on 
a lighter  colored  ground,  are  interesting  and  easily  pro- 
duced by  wiping  out  the  color  from  the  center  or  other 
portion  of  a pattern  to  be  high-lighted.  . Another  way  to 
accomplish  this  eifect  will  be  stated. 

Frequently  there  is  occasion  to  use  the  narrow  stencil 
borders,  which  we  technically  call  dividers,  and  these  are 
generally  applied  in  one  solid  color,  without  any  attempt 
at  a more  elaborate  treatment.  This  method  has  the  vir- 
tue of  greater  simplicity,  requiring  less  labor,  and,  there- 
fore, less  cost — dominant  factors  with  most  painters  to- 
day. And  yet  we  sometimes  feel  the  need  of  a treatment 
that  is  a little  different ; the  need  of  something  that  will 
relieve  the  monotony  or  harshness  which  the  use  of  a 
solid  color  generally  entails. 

On  such  occasions  we  may  decide  on  the  use  of  a second 
color  for  a part  of  the  design,  perhaps  shading  a portion 
of  it.  But  a method  that  is  even  more  suitable  for  this 
class  of  ornament  is  to  use  one  or  other  of  the  various 
glaze  colors,  and  by  strengthening  the  shading,  accord- 
ing to  the  subject,  secure  a two-tone  eifect  that  will  har- 
monize with  the  background,  and  blend  with  the  dec- 
orative scheme  as  a whole. 

Two-tone  effects  are  easily  obtained  after  a little  prac- 
tice, and  are  particularly  suitable  for  the  majority  of  the 
narrow  border  designs  that  are  in  general  use.  The  most 
successful  results  are  obtained  by  selecting  patterns  that 
are  bold  and  yet  simple,  and  it  should  be  the  object  to  ar- 
range the  shading  so  as  to  strengthen  and  emphasize  the 
features,  thereby  bringing  out  the  full  character  of  the 
design. 

Treatment  of  a Border. — Plate  22  illustrates  the  sug- 
gested treatment  of  a small  pond-lily  border,  and  it  is 
particularly  suitable  as  a practice  illustration,  as  it  is 


104 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


both  simple  and  effective.  As  a test  of  this  method,  try 
this,  or  a similar  pattern,  on  a background  that  is  painted 
a cream  color  or  a light  stone.  Mix  a small  quantity  of 
burnt  umber,  ground  in  oil,  with  a little  turpentine  and 
dryers,  taking  care  that  the  color  is  of  a reasonably  thick 
consistency. 

Keep  an  old  sash  tool  on  hand  to  supply  this  color 
as  desired  on  to  a piece  of  board,  as  it  is  advisable  to 
charge  the  stencil  brush  in  this  manner,  instead  of  dip- 
ping it  into  the  color  can,  in  order  to  avoid  having  an 
excess  of  color  on  the  brush. 

Place  the  stencil  plate  on  an  old  sheet  of  paper,  and, 
using  a small  stencil  brush,  work  a small  quantity  of  color 
all  over  the  pattern,  in  the  same  manner  as  you  would 
stencil  the  pattern  solidly  on  the  wall.  This  gives  a cer- 
tain amount  of  color  on  the  edges  of  the  design  in  the 
plate,  so,  after  pinning  the  plate  in  position  on  the  wall, 
take  a large  dry  stencil  brush  and  commence  pouncing  all 
over  the  pattern,  using  only  the  color  that  adheres  to  the 
plate,  and  which  the  dry  stencil  brush  will  distribute  in 
a light  tone.  Now  take  the  small  stencil  brush,  and,  with 
a little  of  the  color  which  was  spread  on  the  board,  begin 
shading  the  pattern  by  working  from  the  parts  of  the  de- 
sign that  your  fancy  tells  you  should  be  darkest,  until 
you  blend  into  the  lighter  color  where  you  wish  your 
high-light  to  remain. 

After  completing  each  length  the  plate  should  be 
moved  on  a stretch  and  the  process  repeated,  the  small 
stencil  brush  that  is  used  for  shading  being  the  only  one 
that  is  charged  with  color.  The  dry  brush  should  be 
used  only  to  distribute  the  color  that  adheres  to  the  plate 
from  the  shading  of  the  former  stretch,  and  this  distribu- 
tion of  a limited  amount  of  a glaze  color  gives  a light, 
semi-transparent  tone  that  is  very  suitable  for  a high- 
light and  which  is  sufficiently  emphasized  by  the  stronger 
shading  tone.  This  design  is  quite  effective  also  when 


WORKING  OPERATIONS 


105 


treated  in  its  natural  colors,  dull  green  and  soft  yellow, 
characteristics  of  the  pond  lily. 

WHERE  TO  USE  STENCILS 

To  Apparently  Change  the  Size  of  a Room. — It  has 
long  been  the  practice  of  decorators  to  place  stencil  de- 
signs, picture  moulds,  cove  moulds,  chair  and  plate  rails, 
friezes  and  colors  in  such  a manner  as  completely  to 


Plate  23. — 1,  Trade  Names  for  Different  Parts  of  a Room  Wall  ; 2,  Posi- 
tion of  Dado  ; 3,  Jf,  Examples  of  Vertical  Stenciling. 


transform  the  appearance  of  a room.  Stencil  location, 
design,  and  color  may  readily  be  used  to  modify  or  to 
accentuate  certain  architectural  features,  to  direct  at- 
tention to  or  divert  it  from  defects.  See  Plates  23,  24, 
25,  and  26. 

Wall  Space  Trade  Names. — For  convenience  in  desig- 
nating different  spaces  in  a room,  walls  liave  generally 
been  divided  into  sections  and  designated  as  wainscot 
ing,  filling,  frieze,  and  dado.  See  Plate  23. 


106 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


Stencil  Placing  m Small  Rooms — Low  Ceilings. — The 
essentials  are  to  decorate  walls  and  ceilings  in  plain, 
light  tints  or  delicate  Tiffany  glaze, — use  narrow  moulds, 
and  simple,  open-pattern  stencils,  softly  colored. 

Place  stencil,  picture  mould  or  a narrow  cove  mould 
at  top  of  the  wall  where  it  joins  the  ceiling.  Allow  no 
frieze  if  a bedroom  or  living  room.  Figure  6,  Plate  24. 

In  dining  rooms  where  the  wood  trim  is  painted  or 
enameled  white,  light  gray,  or  ivory,  a plate  rail  is  often 
placed  high,  usually  on  a line  with  the  top  of  window 
and  door  casings.  The  dado  between  the  plate  rail  and 
baseboard  should  not  be  paneled  off,  but  rather  painted 
or  mottled  in  a light  tint  and  stenciled  vertically,  as 
in  Figure  3,  Plate  23,  or  else  use  wall  paper  having 
stripes  up  and  down.  When  the  space  above  the  plate 
rail  in  this  location  is  18  or  20  inches  high,  an  open,  light- 
ly designed  and  colored  stencil  may  be  run  horizontally, 
just  above  the  plate  rail. 

Or  place  the  plate  rail  one-third  of  the  way  down  from 
the  ceiling,  stencil  on  an  open  pattern  (with  the  ceiling 
tint)  from  2 to  4 inches  wide,  immediately  below  the 
picture  mould.  Fill  in  the  dado  with  small  vertical 
stencil  figures  as  in  Figure  4,  Plate  23.  Use  no  chair  rail. 

In  other  rooms  of  these  proportions,  if  stencils  are 
used  they  should  if  possible  be  run  vertically  from  a 
narrow  picture  mould  at  the  top  of  the  wall,  where  it 
joins  the  ceiling,  down  to  the  baseboard,  and  it  will  cause 
the  ceiling  to  appear  higher  up  and  the  side  wall  higher, 
as  in  Figure  5,  Plate  24.  Use  neither  a frieze  nor  drop 
ceiling. 

When  a ceiling  is  only  moderately  low,  a lightly-de- 
signed, open  stencil  may  well  be  placed  below  the  picture 
mould,  as  in  Figure  6,  Plate  24. 

When  the  wall  is  plain  and  the  wood  trim  is  not  orna- 
mental either,  a stencil  is  often  used  decoratively  to  fol- 
low the  baseboard  and  door  casings,  as  in  Plate  24. 


WORKING  OPERATIONS 


107 


In  any  use  of  the  stencil  in  small  rooms  the  wall  color, 
ceiling,  and  stencil  tints  must  all  be  just  as  light  and 
soft  in  tone  as  possible.  The  ceiling  tint  is  always  ap- 
propriate for  transferring  stencils  to  the  side  walls. 

Where  the  wood  trim  of  a room  is  painted  or  enameled 
in  a light  tint,  the  picture  or  cove  mould  should  carry 
the  ceiling  tint. 


Plate  24, — Stencil  Treatment  for  Small  Rooms  with  Low  Ceilings. 


When  the  picture  mould  is  too  dark  in  color,  the  stencil 
bold  in  design  or  strong  in  color,  the  effect  of  apparently 
raising  the  ceiling  and  increasing  the  size  of  the  room  by 
vertical  stencils  and  light-tinted  or  mottled  wall  colors 
will  be  lost,  and  the  reason  for  it  is  obvious.  The  mould 
or  stencil  will  mark  clearly  the  top  of  the  wall,  to  show 
where  it  leaves  off  and  the  ceiling  begins ; dark  colors  on 
the  walls  define  the  limits  of  the  room  too  clearly,  making 
them  seem  near,  while  light-tinted  walls  appear  to  bo 
farther  away;  they  do  not  call  attention  to  their  pi’cs- 
ence  as  do  dark  colors. 


108 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


Hang  pictures  with  quite  long  chains  or  wires  from 
the  picture  mould. 

Painted  or  enameled  woodwork  in  white,  gray,  ivory 
or  some  such  light  tint,  assists  in  apparently  increasing 
the  size  of  the  room. 

Placing  Stencils  in  Small  Rooms — High  Ceilings. — In 
such  rooms  horizontal  (not  vertical)  stencils  may  be 
placed,  as  in  Figures  1,  2,  Plate  23 ; 7 on  Plate  24 ; 8,  9, 


1 


7V 


Plate  25. — Stencils  Appropriate  for  Rooms  with  High  Ceilings. 


10  and  11,  Plate  25.  Designs  to  be  open,  simple,  and  of 
delicate  construction. 

Dining  room  stencils  are  often  handled  as  in  Figures 

11  and  12,  Plates  25  and  26,  respectively. 

Hang  pictures  with  concealed  wires  rather  than  from 
the  picture  mould. 

Placing  Stencils  in  Large  Rooms — High  Ceilings. — 
Large  rooms  offer  an  opportunity  for  a greater  variety 
of  stencils,  colors,  panels  and  moulds.  Arrangements 
shown  in  Figures  1,  2,  4,  6,  7,  8,  9,  10,  11,  12,  13,  and 
14,  Plates  23  to  26,  are  appropriate.  Some  fit  rooms  bet- 


WORKING  OPERATIONS 


109 


ter  than  others.  The  stencil  pattern  may  be  a little  bold- 
er in  design  and  colors  a little  stronger,  while  the  walls 
may  be  tinted  or  glazed  fairly  dark.  This  does  not,  of 
course,  mean  that  suitable  decorations  can  be  secured  by 
using  real  dark  wall  colors,  by  making  too  free  use  of 
stencils  on  the  walls,  or  by  vivid,  brillianl  colors  in  large 
quantities. 


12.  13.  It, 

Plate  26. — Appropriate  Stencils  for  Largs  Rooms  ; No.  14  Illustrates  the 
Use  of  a Spot  Design. 


Placing  Stencils  in  Large  Booms — Low  Ceilings. — 
Stencil  placing,  design,  and  coloring  ought  to  be  virtually 
the  same  as  for  other  rooms  with  low  ceilings.  Wall 
tints  may  be  a trifle  darker  than  in  rooms  that  are  small 
in  addition  to  having  a low  ceiling.  The  same  principle 
is  involved  as  was  mentioned  before.  Light-tinted  walls 
and  ceilings  appear  to  be  farther  away  than  those  paint- 
ed in  fairly  dark  shades.  In  large  rooms,  nothing  will 
be  lost  by  having  walls  fairly  well  defined  by  color,  as 
they  will  in  fact  be  far  enough  away.  It  is  possible  even 
in  a large  room  to  make  the  walls  so  dark  in  color,  the 
stencil  design  so  bold,  and  color  so  strong,  that  the  walls 


110 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


will  seem  very  near  at  hand  and  cause  the  room  to  ap- 
pear crowded.  Paneling  is  more  suitable  for  large  and 
fairly  large  rooms  than  for  small  ones. 

in  selecting  your  wall  colors,  ceiling  tint,  stencils,  and 
stencil  colors,  as  well  as  in  placing  of  picture  moulds, 
plate  rails,  chair  rails,  etc.,  the  object  to  be  gained  in  such 
a room  is  to  apparently  raise  the  ceiling  by  making  it  ex- 
tremely light  in  color ; and  by  using  vertical  rather  than 
horizontal  stencils  on  the  side  walls,  which  latter  tend  to 
lower  the  ceiling  in  appearance. 

Placing  Stencils  With  Extremely  Plain  Wood  Trim 
and  Walls. — Assuming  that  the  proportions  and  size  of 
the  room  are  not  to  be  apparently  altered,  the  use  of 
stencils  in  such  a room  is  solely  for  ornament.  In  de- 
sign they  may  be  more  decorative  and  elaborate  than  in 
other  rooms,  and  may  be  repeated  more  often.  The 
stencil  pattern,  as  well  as  colors,  should  be  allowed  to 
be  more  prominent,  even  to  the  extent  of  drawing  a little 
attention  to  themselves.  Stencil  patterns  should  never 
be  real  bold  or  the  colors  what  might  be  called  vivid  or 
brilliant.  Vivid  colors  may  not  be  used  anywhere  except 
in  small  areas.  A very  small  quantity  of  bright  color  is 
sufficient  to  balance  a large  area  of  soft,  dull  tints.  The 
wall  color  should  be  quite  a light  tint,  and  the  ceiling 
should  be  very  light. 

Placing  Stencils  Where  the  Wood  Trim  Is  Fancy  and 
the  Walls  Are  Decorative  in  Themselves. — Many  of  the 
rooms  in  older  houses  have  heavy  moulds,  beading  and 
ornamental  wood  trim,  while  the  ceilings  often  have  re- 
lief medallions  and  are  otherwise  decorative.  Obviously, 
stencil  designs  and  coloring  ought  to  be  very  small, 
simple,  and  delicate  for  such  rooms.  They  should  be 
used  sparingly  and  placed  judiciously,  so  as  not  to  add 
too  much  decoration  to  a room  that  is  already  quite  orna- 
mental in  itself.  What  are  often  called  spot  designs,  as 
in  Figure  14,  Plate  26,  are  best  suited  to  such  rooms. 


CHAPTER  VI 

SOME  GOOD  JOBS  ILLUSTEATED 

Undoubtedly  the  very  best  way  to  become  proficient  in 
tie  use  of  stencils  and  colors  as  a means  of  decorating 
rooms  in  public  buildings  and  private  homes,  is  to  study 
the  finished  work  of  other  decorators  who  are  capable  and 
experienced.  But  it  is  not  convenient  for  a large  number 
of  painters  to  do  that,  and  so  the  next  best  opportunity  is 
to  study  pictures  illustrating  the  work  and  written  de- 
scriptions of  it. 

It  must  be  borne  in  mind,  however,  that  such  de- 
scriptions of  jobs  necessarily  omit  one  of  the  most  impor- 
tant elements — namely,  color.  And  color  can  make  or 
break  almost  any  scheme  of  decoration.  By  all  means 
study  the  fine  stencil  jobs  to  be  seen  in  all  cities — the 
hotels,  libraries,  restaurants,  and  the  better  class  of  stores 
— whenever  it  is  possible  to  do  so. 

The  decoration  of  a moving  picture  theater  ceiling  and 
a photograph  studio,  recent  jobs  done  in  Chicago  by 
well-known  professional  decorators,  will  now  be  de- 
scribed and  illustrated. 

PICTURE  THEATER  CEILING  DECORATION 

Plates  27  and  28  show  pretty  well  the  mechanical  ap- 
pearance of  the  ceiling  stencil  decorations  of  a Chicago 
theater,  but  they  do  not  give  even  a fair  conception  of 
the  artistic  appearance  of  the  finished  job,  being  without 
the  color  values. 

This  job  was  executed  by  experienced  professional 
decorators,  with  mechanical  means  rather  than  freeliand. 
Any  decorator  who  can  do  neat,  careful  work  can  pro- 

111 


112 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


duce  just  as  fine  results  by  careful  study.  The  skill  in 
the  execution  of  this  ceiling  is  not  so  much  shown  in  the 
actual  work  of  decorating  as  in  the  designing  and  laying 
out  of  the  lines  and  colors. 


Values. 

This  really  is  a very  simple,  yet  charming,  piece  of 
work;  much  more  simple,  because  of  the  soft,  delicate 
colors  used,  than  the  black-and-white  drawings  indicate^ 


SOME  GOOD  JOBS  ILLUSTRATED  113 

Observe  that  the  niee  balance  and  proportion  of  the 
whole  ceiling  could  easily  have  been  disturbed  by  a 
simple  mistake.  Suppose  a small  rectangular  border  and 
stencils,  like  those  used  in  the  other  panels,  had  been 
placed  in  each  of  the  six  small  center  panels,  in  place 
of  the  two  long  rectangles  used,  which  apparently  run 
under  two  of  the  beams  on  each  side.  Would  not  that 
have  wrecked  the  success  of  the  treatment?  The  whole 
ceiling  would  have  been  spotty  and  confusing  to  the  eye. 

Plate  27  shows  the  general  layout  of  the  whole  ceil- 
ing. Notice  that  identically  the  same  treatment  was 
given  all  of  the  rectangular  panels.  The  center  panel 
has  been  treated  in  the  same  manner,  using  a circular 
border  in  place  of  the  rectangle. 

Method  of  Procedure. — The  procedure  in  executing  a 
job  of  this  kind  was  about  as  follows:  The  beams  or 
trusses  of  this  ceiling  had  been  covered  over  with  plaster 
ornamental  mouldings,  as  is  usual  with  buildings  of  this 
character.  Two  coats  of  lead,  oil,  and  turpentine,  tinted 
to  light  ivory  with  raw  sienna,  were  brushed  on  with  a 
size  coat  of  glue  or  varnish  between  the  two.  Of  course 
the  second  coat  was  thinned  with  turps  only,  so  that  a 
fiat  surface  would  result.  The  beams  were  given  no 
further  finishing.  If  they  had  been  made  of  natural  or 
stained  wood  the  whole  ceiling  would  have  been  quite 
as  attractive,  treated  as  it  was,  but  a little  different  to 
be  sure. 

All  of  the  spaces  within  the  beams,  the  panels,  marked 
A and  G in  Plate  28,  were  then  painted  two  coats  and  a 
size  to  finish  with  a flat  surface.  The  color  for  these 
areas  is  a warm,  light  gray,  made  by  tinting  white  lead 
with  a bit  of  raw  sienna  and  raw  umber. 

With  the  beams  and  panels  finished  and  dry,  tlie 
ceiling  was  measured  off  and  laid  out  for  the  lines  and 
stencils.  The  line  F was  located  16  inches  from  the  beam 
all  around  on  four  sides.  Either  a chalkline  or  a brass- 


SOME  GOOD  JOBS  ILLUSTRATED 


115 


bound  straightedge  and  a pencil  were  used  to  run  a 
temporary  line  on  the  wall,  to  be  followed  by  the  stencil. 

When  a chalkline  is  used  it  is  first  coated  well  with 
chalk.  Then,  being  held  taut  against  the  measured  marks 
on  the  ceiling  by  a man  at  each  end,  it  is  pulled  down 
a few  inches  in  the  center  and  when  let  go  quickly  it 
snaps  a straight  line  onto  the  ceiling. 

Next  a stencil  was  cut  to  transfer  two  dotted  lines  each 
one-eighth  of  an  inch  wide  and  one  inch  apart,  as  shown 
by  H,  Plate  28.  The  dotted  stencil  lines  were  transferred 
with  burnt  umber  thinned  with  turps.  The  space  be- 
tween these  two  lines  was  filled  in  by  hand,  using  a halP 
inch  fitch.  The  color  was  raw  sienna,  thinned  a little 
with  turps  and  a few  drops  of  linseed  oil.  This  opera- 
tion made  line  F complete. 

Lines  E are  one-half  inch  wide,  solid  rather  than  dotted 
stencil  lines,  and  were  painted  with  burnt  umber.  The 
lines  are  four  inches  apart  and  two  inches  from  line  F. 
An  angle  lining  fitch  and  a straightedge  were  the  tools 
used  in  running  these  E lines,  as  described  in  Chapter 
VIII  on  Lining.  They  could  also  be  marked  on  with  a 
pencil,  using  a straightedge  to  keep  them  true.  Then 
they  could  be  filled  in  with  an  ordinary  fitch.  This  would 
require  more  time,  however,  than  to  line  in  the  regular 
manner. 

Bear  in  mind  that  the  lines,  flowers,  leaves,  and  stems 
are  all  painted  with  the  clear  colors  as  they  come  from 
the  can,  and  are  not  mixed  with  lead.  These  are  semi' 
transparent  colors,  which  permit  the  ground  color  tr 
show  through. 

The  roses,  leaves,  and  stems  (C,  D,)  were  transferred 
with  an  outline  stencil,  as  shown  in  Plate  14,  Figure 
649.  There  are  many  other  stencils  which  would  serve 
quite  as  well.  This  one  was  transferred  in  raw  sienna, 
which  simifiy  made  an  outline  of  the  flowers,  leaves,  and 
stems. 


116 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


When  the  outline  was  dry  the  leaves  (D)  and  stems 
were  filled  in  by  hand  with  a small  one-quarter-inch 
fitch,  using  chrome  green  with  a little  raw  umber  added. 
The  stems  were  made  a little  darker  than  the  leaves. 
The  color  was  used  quite  thin. 

The  flowers  (0)  were  next  filled  in  with  a thin,  trans- 
parent red — rose  pink  or  American  vermilion  probably 
— using  a small  brush  as  for  the  leaves  and  stems.  While 
the  red  was  still  wet  the  color  was  wiped  thin  at  the 
edges  of  some  of  the  flower  petals,  leaving  a lighter  pink. 
A cloth  wrapped  over  the  thumb  or  forefinger  is  used 
for  wiping  out  these  high-lights  and  shading,  as  a rule. 
The  end  of  a small  brush  or  pencil  may  be  used,  wrapped 
in  cloth,  for  small  parts. 

When  stenciling  on  residence  walls  and  others  to  be 
seen  in  daylight  and  bright  light,  the  colors  must  be 
kept  soft  and  delicate.  On  this  theater  ceiling,  however, 
which  is  seldom  seen  except  with  dim  electric  lights,  the 
colors  were  necessarily  made  fairly  strong,  so  as  to  carry 
well  in  the  dark.  Observed  in  bright  light,  the  stenciled 
flowers  and  leaves  appear  rough,  crude,  and  altogether 
too  strongly  colored.  As  with  oil  painting,  bulletin  and 
scene  painting,  stencils  must  be  colored  only  bright 
enough  to  give  a soft,  delicate  effect  at  the  proper  dis- 
tance from  which  they  are  regularly  seen,  and  with  the 
regular  light. 

A PHOTOGRAPH  STUDIO  DECORATION 

By  carefully  going  over  Plates  29,  30,  and  31,  you 
should  get  a pretty  fair  idea  of  how  the  stenciling  was 
carried  out  to  decorate  one  of  the  best  studios  in  Chicago. 
These  drawings,  limited  to  black  and  white  as  they  are, 
do  not  give  a good  idea  as  to  color  values,  nor  yet  the 
attractiveness  which  the  colors  add.  In  Plate  29,  for 
instance,  the  stencils  D and  E,  shown  in  black  on  the 
drawing,  are  entirely  too  strong  in  contrast  with  the 


SOME  GOOD  JOBS  ILLUSTRATED 


117 


white  wall  A.  Likewise  the  ceiling,  Plate  31,  does  not 
appear  in  the  drawing  to  be  nearly  as  attractive  as  it 
really  is,  because  the  stencils  F and  H contrast  too 
strongly  in  the  drawing  with  the  white  ceiling  J. 

This  studio  is  on  the  ground  floor  of  an  ordinary  store 
building  and  is  in  proportion  rather  too  long  for  its 
width,  and  the  ceiling  is  a trifle  too  high.  One  not  look- 
ing for  these  details  would  likely  not  notice  them,  because 
the  decorator  with  his  deep  stencils  and  the  architect  who 


- ^ — - 

= 

i;;. 

- 1 

1‘i’ 

' 

WM 

^ i |1|  Ijl  — _ — 

Plate  29. — Decoration  of  a Chicago  Photograph  Studio. 


planned  the  deep  cornice  and  high  wall  panels  have  pro- 
duced a very  attractive  interior. 

The  cornice,  mouldings,  base  board,  the  stiles  of  the 
wall  panels,  and  all  other  wood  trim  are  of  red  gum, 
varnished  and  pumice  rubbed,  after  a very  light  appli- 
cation of  thin  brown  stain.  It  appears  very  much  like 
walnut,  and  probably  is  thought  to  be  such  by  most  peo- 
ple. It  is  possible  that  the  gum  was  not  stained  at  all. 
That  wood,  when  finished  naturally  with  varnish  only, 
is  a medium  dark  brown,  and  after  two  or  three  years 
turns  much  darker,  like  most  trim  lumber. 

The  filling  or  upper  side  wall  A,  Plate  20,  is  a rough 
sand  finish.  The  panels  B are  of  coarse  weave  wall  can- 


118 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


WALL  5TENCIL 


CEILING  5TENCIL 


I fiHiBii  riBiiiiriHiiii  fiBiii!  r tm 

WALL  AND  CEILING  STENCIL 


A . ^ 

........... 

iSvli 

Plate  30. — Stencils  Used  in  Decorating  Rear  Wall  and  Ceiling  of  Studio. 


SOME  GOOD  JOBS  ILLUSTRATED 


119 


vas,  decorated  with  a Vandyke  brown  or  burnt  umber 
glaze,  nicely  mottled  or  stippled  out  with  a wad  of 
cheese  cloth.  This  transparent  glaze  stain  was  put  on 
over  an  opaque  flat  cream  ground  (white  lead  tinted 
with  raw  sienna). 

The  filling  A was  glazed  with  the  same  brown  stain 
color  used  on  B,  but  over  a much  lighter  cream  or  ivory 
ground  color.  A is  several  shades  lighter  in  color  than 


Plate  31. — Layout  of  Studio  Ceiling  Decoration. 

The  stencils  B and  E were  transferred  with  the  Van- 
dyke brown  or  burnt  umber,  and  are  not  very  strongly  in 
contrast  with  the  mottled  color  of  A. 

Plate  30  shows  the  handling  of  the  rear  wall  of  the 
room,  which  separates  a small  workroom  in  the  rear  from 
the  main  display  room.  Obviously  the  decoration  was 
handled  the  same  as  in  Plate  29.  Plate  30  also  shows 
large-size  reproductions  of  the  stencils. 

In  Plate  31  is  shown  the  ceiling  layout.  The  cornice 
at  the  top  of  the  side  wall,  of  course,  forms  a brown  frame 
around  the  entire  ceiling,  as  indicated  by  the  wide  black 
'line.  The  ceiling  color  is  the  flat  light  cream  or  ivory, 
whichever  you  choose  to  call  it,  which  was  used  as  the 
ground  coat  on  the  filling  A. 

The  stencil  F,  which  you  will  note  is  the  reverse  of 


120 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


stencil  D on  the  wall,  is  transferred  in  a soft,  light  blue 
(white  tinted  with  cobalt  blue)  about  a sky-blue  shade. 

Stencil  H is  the  same  as  was  used  on  the  wall  above  the 
wainscoting  and  is  used  on  the  ceiling  in  the  same  color 
also — dark  brown. 

G on  Plate  31  indicates  the  light  chandeliers,  and  I 
the  ventilators. 

SOME  PANEL  IDEAS 

Writing  on  the  subject  of  adapting  certain  stencil  de- 
signs to  artistically  decorate  different  rooms,  Reginald 
Ware,  in  ‘‘The  Canadian  Painter”  has  presented  some 
valuable  ideas  for  the  use  of  detached  designs. 

A style  of  decoration  that  can  be  obtained  by  a slight 
alteration  of  the  laurel-leaf  design  in  shown  in  Plate  32, 
Figure  1.  This  is  worthy  of  a little  consideration,  not 
only  because  of  the  excellent  decorative  results  to  be  se- 
cured by  its  application  on  a suitable  background,  but 
also  because  it  affords  us  a simple  illustration  of  the 
adaptability  of  certain  designs. 

Much  might  well  be  written  and  illustrated  on  this 
subject  that  would  prove  of  great  benefit  to  the  beginner, 
as  it  is  a study  worthy  of  the  careful  attention  of  every 
decorator,  and  a necessary  acquisition  to  the  ability 
of  those  responsible  for  the  arranging  of  the  interior 
decorations  of  churches  and  other  large  public  buildings, 
where  the  harmony  of  the  types  of  design  used  are  second 
in  importance  only  to  the  harmony  of  the  color  scheme 
of  the  decorations  as  a whole. 

Utilizing  Old  Stencils. — We  can  profitably  spend  some 
time  in  carefully  looking  over  our  old  stock  of  stencil 
plates  and  designs,  and  noting  how,  by  minor  alterations, 
we  can  adapt  portions  of  certain  patterns  so  that  they 
enable  us  to  obtain  decorative  effects  totally  different, 
perhaps,  from  that  for  which  they  were  originally  in- 
tended. The  beginner,  no  matter  how  limited  his  pre- 


SOME  GOOD  JOBS  ILLUSTRATED 


t21 


Figure  2. 


Figure  1. 


Plate  32. — “Suggestive  Paneling”  for  Decoration  of  an  Upper  Wall 

Space. 


122 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


vious  experience,  would  be  well  advised  to  devote  some 
time  in  this  manner,  as  by  thus  educating  himself  to  the 
useful  possibilities  of  the  dift'erent  motifs,  and  by  build- 
ing from  parts  complete  patterns  to  suit  his  fancy,  he 
will  acquire  the  ability  to  complete  dilferent  arrange- 
ments of  the  same  motif,  suitable  for  the  dilferent  size 
spaces  of  the  larger  buildings,  when  he  undertakes  this 
class  of  work. 

Unsuitahle  Designs. — Many  elaborately  executed  in- 
terior decorations  are  seriously  marred  from  an  artistic 
standpoint  by  the  inclusion  of  unsuitable  patterns  as 
parts  of  the  ornaments,  the  effect  appearing  just  as  ob- 
jectionable to  the  true  artist  as  a serious  clash  of  color- 
ing would  to  the  average  eye. 

In  one  of  our  big  cities  the  interior  decorations  of  two 
prominent  churches  are  glaring  examples  of  the  lack  of 
appreciation — or  shall  I say  ‘‘interpretation”? — of  their 
requirements  by  their  decorators.  One,  an  Oriental  type 
of  building  with  a large  central  dome,  contains  an  assort- 
ment of  ornaments,  chiefly  of  the  Gothic  and  Tudor 
period,  that  are  entirely  out  of  place.  Scarcely  a section 
of  the  designs  used  is  in  keeping  with  the  architecture 
of  the  building,  which  should  have  been  treated  more 
sympathetically  with  suitable  Oriental  designs.  The 
second  church  shows  the  effect  of  a too  elaborate  treat- 
ment, as  the  interior  appears  to  contain  one  large  as- 
sembly of  stenciled  patterns  on  ceilings  and  walls,  with 
scarcely  a portion  of  the  background  visible.  The  im- 
pression created  in  the  mind  of  the  average  person  is 
that  the  decorators  accidentally  omitted  stenciling  the 
floors  and  pews. 

When  engaged  in  domestic  work,  there  is  not  the  same 
danger  of  the  clashing  of  the  types  of  designs,  as  it  is 
seldom  that  two  distinct  motifs  are  needed  in  the  same 
room  or  hall,  yet  it  is  essential  that  a pattern  suitable 


SOME  GOOD  JOBS  ILLUSTRATED 


123 


to  the  features  of  its  surroundings  be  selected,  and  that 
a too  elaborate  treatment  be  avoided. 

Suggestive  Paneling. — One  of  the  illustrations  shown 
in  Plate  32  is  a modification  of  the  panel  effect  and  might 
be  termed  ‘‘suggestive  paneling,”  as  it  is  a compromise 
between  the  ordinary  band-border  and  panel  decorations, 
with  a very  decided  suggestion  of  the  latter.  It  is  suit- 
able for  the  decoration  of  an  upper  wall  space,  and  its 
use  can  be  recommended  where  the  heavier  panel  effects 
are  not  desired.  The  illustration  conveys  an  idea  of 
the  suggested  arrangement.  In  this  instance  the  larger 
panel  is  central. 

The  lower  part  of  Figure  1,  Plate  32,  resembles  a 
broken  band-border  effect,  and  is  suitable  alone  as  a 
decoration  beneath  the  moulding  or  cornice  of  a living- 
room  or  reception  room.  When  applied  on  a blended 
background  (whether  the  latter  be  painted  or  covered 
with  an  oil-coated  wallpaper)  the  results  are  good,  as  it 
gives  just  that  suggestion  of  ornament  necessary  for  this 
type  of  room,  without  the  harshness  of  a continuous,  nar- 
row band-border. 

To  secure  a good  effect  in  the  average  room,  the  top 
of  the  design  should  be  kept  a few  inches  below  the  top 
of  the  side  wall,  parallel  to  the  base  of  the  cornice  or 
moulding.  Having  struck  a chalk  line  around  the  room 
at  the  distance  suggested,  we  find  the  center  length  of 
this  line  on  the  main  wall,  and  stencil  our  center  pattern. 
After  marking  off  the  approximate  distance  from  each 
side,  where  our  large  central  section  shall  end,  we  com- 
plete the  stenciling  of  this  section  from  both  sides  of 
our  center  pattern,  arranging  so  that  our  respective  ends 
shall  finish  with  an  unbroken  leaf  at  the  point  v/here  this 
occurs,  nearest  to  our  “approximate”  marks.  This  gives 
us  our  central  section  completed.  From  the  extreme  ends 
of  this  section  we  next  find  the  center  of  the  distance  to 
the  angles,  and  stencil  our  centers  of  the  shorter  sections. 


124 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


From  these  centers  we  stencil  onr  patterns  toward  the 
middle  section,  again  finishing  at  an  unbroken  leaf  when 
within  a few  inches  of  the  ends  of  our  central  length. 
By  continuing  a similar  distance  towards  the  angles  we 
have  our  short  section  finished. 

This  is  repeated  on  the  opposite  wall,  but  on  the  nar- 
rower sides  of  the  room,  where,  perhaps,  only  two  sec- 
tions of  pattern  are  required,  we  first  find  the  center  from 
corner  to  corner,  which  in  this  case  becomes  the  center 
of  the  center  ‘‘stile.”  From  this  center  we  measure  a 
small  distance  each  way,  equal  to  half  the  distance  of 
the  division  between  sections  on  our  main  wall.  From 
each  angle  towards  the  center  we  measure  the  full  dis- 
tance of  the  “stile,”  and  within  these  marks  again  have 
the  approximate  length  of  our  sections.  By  working 
from  the  center  of  these  sections  and  finishing  at  an  un- 
broken leaf  as  before,  we  are  able  to  complete  the  decora- 
tions on  these  walls. 

To  secure  the  best  results  the  use  of  at  least  two  differ- 
ent colors  are  necessary,  and  on  the  blended  backgrounds  a 
soft  two-tone  effect  for  the  leaves  can  be  recommended. 
The  illustrations  shown  are  in  one  solid  color.  This  was 
done  for  the  sake  of  “clearness”  when  reproducing,  and 
because  of  the  large  reductions  of  the  proportions  neces- 
sary to  include  the  complete  sections  in  the  plates. 

Maple-Leaf  Effects. — Many  pleasing  decorative  effects 
can  be  obtained  by  various  arrangements  of  the  maple 
leaves  as  the  motif  of  the  ornament.  Some  suggestions 
are  illustrated  in  Figures  2 and  3,  Plate  32.  No.  2 shows 
an  adaptation  suitable  for  the  crown  or  top  of  a panel,  the 
narrow  border  being  continued  down  the  sides.  The 
width  of  the  panels  can  be  enlarged  by  extending  the  ex- 
treme leaves  of  the  former  pattern,  as  shown  in  the  cen- 
ter section  of  the  portion  of  paneling  illustrated  in  Fig- 
ure 3. 

When  using  the  perpendicular  border,  illustrated  in 


SOME  GOOD  JOBS  ILLUSTRATED 


125 


Figure  3,  it  is  not  necessary  to  attempt  to  turn  the  bot- 
tom corner  of  panels  and  continue  along  the  base.  In- 
stead a finish  should  be  secured  at  a leaf  when  within  a 
suitable  distance  from  the  base,  thereby  securing  a sug- 
gestion of  paneling  that  will  look  quite  as  effective  as  the 
completed  panels. 

By  using  the  crown  section  of  ornament  only,  another 
style  of  decoration  may  be  obtained,  suitable  for  the  same 
class  of  room  as  suggested  for  the  lower  part  of  Figure  1. 
This  decoration  also  should  be  kept  a few  inches  below 
the  base  of  the  cornice  or  moulding,  and  the  side  leaves 
extended  to  suit  the  space  to  be  occupied  by  the  design. 
In  a room  where  the  chimney  breast  projects,  and  the 
main  wall  is  thereby  divided  into  three  sections,  it  is 
particularly  appropriate,  and  on  a blended  background 
soft  colorings  of  the  leaves  in  autumn  tones  are  all  that 
can  be  desired 


CHAPTER  VII 

CEILING,  FLOOR  AND  FABRIC  STENCILING 

]\Iany  ceilings  of  rooms  in  our  homes  are  the  better  in 
appearance  for  not  having  any  ornamentation  whatever 
placed  upon  them.  There  are  ceilings  in  living  rooms 
and  libraries,  however,  which  might  well  be  given  a very 
light  and  simple  treatment,  both  in  color  and  design, 
which  would  add  materially  to  the  effect  of  the  room  as  a 
whole. 

The  use  of  detached  motifs,  or  spot  designs,  is  most 
effective  for  ceilings,  because  of  their  simplicity  and 
adaptability.  They  can  be  used  often  when  more  solid, 
continuous  stencil  designs  on  a ceiling  give  an  impres- 
sion of  its  being  over-decorated. 

Selection  of  Ceiling  Color. — Colors  for  ceiling  use  may 
consist  of  any  which  will  be  in  harmony  with  the  general 
color  treatment  of  the  room,  but  they  must  be  very  light 
and  airy.  Dark  colors  cause  the  ceiling  to  appear  too 
low.  The  light-blue  sky  tint  is  suitable  in  some  in- 
stances, but  at  other  times  the  very  light  yellowish  and 
grayish  whites  are  needed.  When  the  ceiling  is  high  up, 
and  when  usually  seen  in  darkened  rooms,  as  with 
theaters,  the  color  must  be  stronger  than  for  low-down 
vesidence  ceilings.  The  effect  of  artificial  light  on  colors 
is  also  a necessary  consideration ; blue,  you  will  remem- 
ber, is  only  barely  visible  at  night,  yellow  is  not  strong, 
and  most  other  colors  are  changed  more  or  less  by  night 
lighting. 

Drawings  Should  he  Made. — Before  attempting  to  dec- 
orate a ceiling,  make  a drawing  of  it  on  paper  to  scale,  so 
that  your  proportions  are  correct.  Then  figure  out  the 

12fi 


CEILING,  FLOOR  AND  FABRIC  STENCILING 


127 


best  location  of  your  stencil  designs,  lines,  and  colors. 
Mark  your  drawing  to  show  in  inches  the  exact  position 
of  every  line  and  every  setting  of  the  stencil.  It  is  much 
easier  to  figure  these  things  out  on  paper,  seated  at  a 
desk,  than  to  lay  out  and  judge  distances,  balance,  pro- 
portion, and  so  on  with  the  head  bent  over  in  a neck- 
breaking  position  while  you  try  the  stencil  and  lines  on 
the  ceiling  by  the  ‘‘cut  and  fit”  method. 

With  the  scheme  of  design  all  laid  out  on  paper  and 
the  measurements  marked,  the  next  step  is  to  mark  off 
the  ceiling  with  chalk  (never  pencil),  to  locate  the  posi- 
tion of  each  setting  of  the  stencil  and  each  line.  A three- 
foot  flat  rule,  straightedge,  and  a chalkline  will  enable 
you  to  lay  out  the  work  quickly.  Snap  the  long,  straight 
lines  on  with  the  chalkline.  The  chalk  will  rub  off  when 
the  job  is  finished. 

If  the  decorative  scheme  looked  well  proportioned  on 
the  paper  drawing  laid  out  to  scale,  it  will  look  well  on 
the  ceiling,  put  on  to  correct  measurements,  so  you  will 
not  be  required  to  spend  any  time  wondering  how  the 
design  will  look  while  doing  the  actual  work  on  the 
ceiling. 

Transferring  the  Stencil. — It  is  not  so  easy  to  stencil  on 
ceilings  as  on  walls.  For  that  reason  one  ought  to  take 
advantage  of  every  little  help  and  short  cut.  For  large 
and  high  ceilings  scaffolding  built  up  high,  so  that  one 
can  lie  down  on  it  and  face  the  ceiling  while  transferring 
the  stencil  impression,  helps  to  make  it^  easier  and  saves 
time.  The  stencils  ought  to  be  made  of  heavier  paper 
than  for  side  walls,  and  may  be  fastened  with  glass  push 
pins. 

Sometimes  many  repeats  of  the  stencil  are  cut  through 
a strip  of  stencil  paper  ten  or  twelve  feet  long,  to  save 
moving  a short  stencil  plate  so  many  times. 

Certain  kinds  of  stencils  may  be  transferred  with  a 
paperhanger ’s  rubber  roller  instead  of  a brush.  A piece 


128 


^’E\V  STE^X'ILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


of  long-nap  plush  is  sewed  on  to  completely  cover  the 
roller.  The  color  is  brushed  on  to  a board.  From  there 
it  is  picked  up  by  the  roller  and  transferred  to  the 
wall  through  the  stencil  plate. 

Whatever  the  method  it  is  not  so  easy  to  transfer  a 
clean,  sharp  impression  to  a ceiling  by  means  of  stencil 
plates,  so  don’t  be  discouraged  if  it  becomes  necessary 
to  wash  off  a stretch  or  two  with  benzine,  and  begin  all 
over  again. 

The  straight  lines  so  often  used  for  connecting  detached 
‘ pot  stencil  designs  are  usually  run  on  with  an  angle 
liner  (a  brush),  when  smaller  than  one  inch  wide.  See 
Chapter  A^III,  about  Lining.  Lines  one  inch  and  over 
may  be  stenciled  on ; that  is,  an  outline  stencil  is  cut, 
which  simply  consists  of  two  parallel  lines  one  inch 
apart  or  whatever  width  is  wanted.  Ties  are  left  in  cut- 
ting the  stencil  and  so  the  lines  are  disconnected.  The 
space  between  the  lines  is  filled  in  with  semi-transparent 
glaze  color,  using  an  ordinary  fitch.  Just  how  far  the 
lines  should  be  placed  from  the  edge  of  the  ceiling  de- 
pends on  the  size  of  the  room  and  the  massiveness  or 
delicacy  of  the  wood  trim. 

Designs  for  Ceilings. — The  kind  of  stencils  usually 
found  suited  to  ceiling  decoration  are  the  spot  designs 
shown  in  Plates  28  and  11  and  continuous  patterns  of 
the  character  shown  in  Plates  31  and  1.  Of  course,  any 
designs  which  seem  to  fit  and  look  well  may  be  used  with 
good  effect. 

Just  how  a ceiling  should  be  laid  off  in  panels,  or 
treated  without  them,  depends  on  many  things, — the 
architecture  of  the  room,  cornices,  mouldings,  beams,  and 
other  features.  Plates  27,  28  and  31  will  illustrate  how 
some  ceilings  have  been  well  decorated.  There  are  about 
as  many  styles  with  more  or  less  merit  as  there  are  deco- 
rators. 

Often  where  a ceiling  or  panel  is  small  and  is  sur- 


CEILING.  FLOOR  AND  FABRIC  STENCILING 


129 


rounded  by  moulding,  it  is  much  better  to  place  the 
stencil  ornament  only  in  the  four  corners,  with  very 
light  lines  or  no  lines  connecting  them.  The  temptation 
to  place  a fifth  spot  in  the  center  of  the  ceiling  must  be 
resisted.  When  a fifth  spot  is  used,  make  it  larger  and 
somewhat  different,  so  as  to  form  a centerpio^^p; 

FLOOR  STENCILING 

The  stenciling  of  floors  does  not  offer  a very  wide 
opportunity  for  business,  but  still  one  ought  to  keep  in 
mind  that  it  is  sometimes  done  with  good  effect.  There 
are  jobs  upon  which  it  is  desired  to  do  ‘‘something  dif- 
ferent, ’ ’ either  for  the  novelty  of  it  or  because  the  condi- 
tions are  different. 

Many  houses  still  have  the  old-fashioned  soft-wood 
floors,  and  they  offer  a painter  an  opportunity  to  create 
some  new  business.  Rugs  have  displaced  carpets  almost 
altogether,  and  they  do  not  look  well  unless  the  floor  is 
well  finished.  The  cost  of  replacing  these  old  floors 
with  hardwood  is  considerable,  and  as  satisfactory  re- 
sults can  be  attained  by  using  the  new  method  of  finish- 
ing floors,  the  difference  in  cost  makes  it  attractive  to  the 
average  house-owner. 

Briefly,  the  method  is  to  paint  the  floors,  then  deco- 
rate them  by  separating  the  border  from  the  center  by 
plain  strips  or  stencil  designs.  The  color  of  the  border 
and  center  may  be  different  shades  of  the  same  color,  the 
idea  being  to  produce  the  effect  of  a rug  sometimes,  but 
more  often  merely  to  run  a stencil  border  around  the  edge 
of  the  floor,  a real  rug  being  used  in  the  center.  Bed- 
room floors  are  most  often  decorated  in  this  manner,  al- 
though an  old  floor  in  any  room  can  be  made  much  more 
presentable. 

Preparation. — To  begin  wjth,  scrub  the  floor  and  give 
it  time  to  dry  out  well.  Cracks  must  be  free  from  dust 
and  dirt  before  a filler  will  stay  in  place. 


130 


NEW  STENX'ILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


Fill  small  cracks  with  putty,  made  from  two-thirds 
whiting  and  one-third  white  lead,  linseed  oil,  and  floor 
or  zubbing  varnish.  Fill  large  cracks  with  putty  made 
by  mixing  whiting  and  fine  sawdust  with  water,  to  which 
has  been  added  enough  glue  to  make  it  stick.  Cracks 
in  new  lumber  should  have  a coat  of  oil  first. 

When  the  filler  is  hard,  sandpaper  the  floor  smooth, 
cutting  down  with  a plane  any  edges  of  boards  that  are 
warped. 


^ r ^ 


Plate  33. — Common  Methods  of  Striping  Floors. 


First  Coat. — Thin  white  lead  with  one-third  turpen- 
tine and  two-thirds  linseed  oil.  Add  about  a table- 
spoonful of  drier  to  the  gallon  of  paint  if  raw  oil  is 
used,  and  tint  to  suit. 

Second  Coat. — Mix  white  lead  with  raw  linseed  oil. 
Put  in  the  drier  and  add  some  floor  varnish  to  make 
the  paint  tough ; one-half  to  one  pint  of  varnish  to  the 
gallon  of  paint  will  serve  the  purpose.  After  your  floor 
has  become  dry  and  hard,  it  is  ready  to  stencil  or  stripe. 

Striping. — Plate  33  shows  the  common  methods  of 
striping,  although  these  may  be  varied  by  making  the 
stripes  any  width  desired  or  by  using  several  narrow 
stripes.  The  lines  are  laid  out  with  a straightedge,  rule, 
and  pencil  and  should  be  at  an  equal  distance  from  the 


CEILING,  FLOOR  AND  FABRIC  STENCILING  131 

baseboard  all  around  the  room,  disregarding  small  off- 
sets. 

Stenciling. — Stencils  most  appropriate  for  floors  are 
those  of  simple,  strong  design.  The  Greek  key  design  is 
perhaps  most  frequently  used.  The  width  of  the  stencil 
or  lines  used  will  be  governed  by  the  size  of  the  room. 
A stencil  4 to  6 inches  wide  will  be  most  useful,  although 
there  are  places  where  2 and  3-inch  stencils  are  needed, 
and  some  where  8 or  10-inch  patterns  can  be  used.  You 
will  have  to  do  a little  scheming  to  select  just  the  right 
stencil  or  method  of  striping  to  fit  each  room.  Plates 
1,  7,  and  33  show  suitable  stencil  designs. 

First  lay  out  the  floor  with  a chalk  mark  as  for  strip- 
ing, so  that  you  will  be  sure  to  get  the  stencil  straight. 
Use  thumb  tacks  to  hold  the  stencil  in  place  while  trans- 
ferring it. 

Ordinary  tinting  colors  ground  in  oil  are  used  for 
transferring  stencils.  Thin  with  turpentine  two-thirds, 
and  linseed  oil  one-third,  to  a thick  brushing  consistency. 
A stencil  brush  is  required  for  putting  on  the  color,  and 
should  be  well  wiped  out  on  a board  after  dipping  it 
into  the  color  and  before  putting  it  on  to  the  stencils.  Or, 
better  yet,  do  not  dip  the  brush  in  the  paint ; spread  the 
paint  on  a board  with  another  brush,  then  pick  it  up  on 
the  stencil  brush  from  the  board.  The  brush  must  be 
used  almost  dry,  to  avoid  runs  in  the  stencil  and  ragged 
edges. 

For  this  stenciling  and  lining  work  you  will  require 
several  small  brushes  from  1 to  3 inches.  Probably 

and  i/^-inch  angular  fresco  liners  would  be  useful  also. 

Colors. — Select  the  floor  or  ground  color  to  harmonize 
with  the  wall  and  woodwork  colors,  but  make  it  a little 
darker  than  the  wall. 

Stencils  and  lines  should  be  put  on  in  colors  that  iiar- 
monize  with  the  floor,  and  contrast  not  too  strongly.  The 
center  portion  of  the  floor  may  be  the  same  color  as  the 


132 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


stripes,  but  not  necessarily  so.  In  any  event  do  not  use 
too  many  colors,  nor  too  bright ; usually  two  are  plenty, 
and  these  should  be  selected  after  studying  well  patterned 
and  colored  rugs. 


"By  coaitesy  of  Mr.  G.  N.  Malm, 
author  of  ‘Treatment  of  Walls  and 
Ceilings”  published  by  Acme  Wlilte 
Lead  and  Color  Worits,  Detroit, 
Mich.” 


"By  courtesy  of  Mr.  O'.  N. 
Malm,  author  of  ‘Treatment  of 
Walls  and  Ceilings’  published 
by  Acme  White  Lead  and  Color 
Works.  Detroit,  Mich." 


Color  Works.  Detroit.  Mich. 


Plate  34. — Lining  with  the  Angle  Liner  Brush  and  Yardstick. 

It  is  possible  to  carry  out  some  stencils  in  two  or  even 
three  colors.  For  instance,  the  leaf  design  in  Plate  33 
might  be  used  in  quite  a large  room  (it  is  15  inches 
wide)  to  form  a border  for  a painted  rug.  The  two 
stripes  in  the  outer  edge  can  be  outlined  in  pencil  and 
filled  in  with  raw  umber  tint.  The  first  set  of  leaves 


CEILING,  FLOOR  AND  FABRIC  STENCILING 


133 


Plate  35. — English  Stencil  Designs. 


134 


NEW  STENCILS  ANT)  THEIR  LSE 


fill  ill  with  a green  and  the  second  pair  tint  with  a 
raw  sienna.  Tint  the  third  pair  of  leaves  like  the  first, 
and  the  fourth  pair  the  same  as  the  second,  and  so  on 
alternately.  With  the  other  stencil  shown  in  the  plate 
a two-color  scheme  could  be  carried  out  by  filling  in  one 
section  with  one  tint  and  the  second  section  with  another 
alternately. 

^yax  or  Varnish. — Floors  are  expected  to  stand  ex- 
tremely hard  wear.  Varnish  put  into  the  paint  will 
prolong  its  life,  but  it  is  well  worth  the  additional 
expense  to  varnish  the  floor  over  the  paint,  which  will 
protect  the  stencil  or  striping  design.  Two  coats  of 
varnish  and  a coat  of  wax  is  best.  To  wax  the  floor 
without  the  varnish  will  protect  the  paint  somewhat  and 
is  better  than  no  protection  at  all. 

Color  Suggestions. — Lighter  tints  may  be  used  ap- 
propriately in  bedrooms  than  in  other  rooms.  In  every 
instance  the  stencil  color  ought  to  be  but  a shade  or  two 
darker  or  lighter  than  the  floor  color.  A strong  contrast 
does  not  look  well. 

Floor  color,  Bedford  stone;  stencil  or  border,  pearl 
gray. 

Floor  color,  light  slate ; stencil  or  border,  dark  slate. 

Floor  color,  slate ; stencil  or  border,  dark  bottle  green. 

Floor  color,  iiearl  gray;  stencil  or  border,  medium 
olive. 

Floor  color,  French  gray ; stencil  or  border,  dark  bottle 
green. 

Floor  color,  warm  gray ; stencil  or  border,  maroon. 

Floor  color,  medium  drab ; stencil  or  border,  warm 
drab. 

Floor  color,  tan ; stencil  or  border,  chocolate  brown. 

Floor  color,  dark  umber  tint ; stencil  or  border,  French 
gray. 

Floor  color,  bronze  gray;  stencil  or  border,  medium 
olive. 


CEILING,  FLOOR  AND  FABRIC  STENCILING 


135 


STENCILING  ON  CLOTH 

The  ornamentation  of  fabrics  is  of  interest  to  the  deco- 
rator, because  he  is  occasionally  called  upon  to  carry 
wall  designs  on  to  furnishings  such  as  window  drapes, 
table  covers,  and  portieres  in  order  to  complete  a deco- 
rative scheme.  There  is  not  much  difference  between  the 
methods  required  for  transferring  the  designs  to  fabrics 
and  for  wall  work;  still  some  details  are  manipulated 
differently,  so  only  the  points  of  difference  will  be  touched 
upon.  There  can  be  no  advantage  in  repeating  unneces- 
sarily what  has  been  said  in  other  chapters  about  stencils 
and  stenciling  in  general. 

Method  of  Procedure. — The  work  on  fabrics  is  best 
done  by  doing  the  stenciling  on  a drawing-board.  Lay 
several  sheets  of  newspaper  on  the  board  first.  Then  a 
sheet  of  blotting  paper  (white  is  best),  to  take  up  any 
excess  of  color  and  avoid  having  it  crawl.  Now  stretch 
the  fabric  to  be  decorated  on  top  of  the  blotting-paper 
and  smooth  it  out.  Place  pins  in  the  four  corners  to  hold 
the  fabric  in  place.  See  that  the  horizontal  threads  run 
square  with  the  vertical  threads  before  pinning  the  cor- 
ners. 

Next  mark  off  with  chalk,  a soft  pencil,  or  thread,  the 
guide  lines  locating  the  design  where  you  want  it.  Lay 
the  stencil  plate  square  and  in  the  correct  position.  Pin 
it  down  fast  with  thumb  tacks  or  push  pins.  You  are 
now  ready  to  lay  the  color  on  with  the  correct  size  of 
stencil  brush. 

Colors. — Mix  the  same  semi-transparent  colors  as  are 
used  for  wall  decorating,  with  turpentine,  adding  a few 
drops  of  japan  gold  size  or  varnish  as  a binder,  so  that 
the  color  will  remain  fast  during  the  washing.  Tt  is 
obvious  on  first  thought  that  the  color  should  be  mixed 
thinner  for  thick  woolly  goods  than  for  fine  smooth 
fabrics,  but  do  not  thin  it  to  the  point  of  running.  Tf  you 


136 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


Plate  36. — French  Stencil  Designs. 


CEILING,  FLOOR  AND  FABRIC  STENCILING 


137 


use  too  much  japan  gold  size,  varnish,  or  drier,  the  color 
will  finish  with  a gloss  instead  of  flat,  as  it  should  be. 

Use  tube  oil  colors  for  stenciling  on  linen,  cotton,  can- 
vas, muslin,  and  other  fabrics  except  silk  velvet  and 
velours.  Use  dyes  for  these  latter  fabrics.  The  dyes 
needed  are  those  commonly  used  for  clothing.  To  one 
package  of  the  dye  add  two  tablespoonfuls  of  water  and 
the  white  of  one  egg. 

Whether  you  use  colors  or  dyes,  do  not  dip  the  stencil 
brush  into  the  mixing  pot.  Spread  a little  of  the  color 
on  a piece  of  glass  with  another  brush.  Then  pick  it  up 
on  the  stencil  brush  from  the  glass.  A surprisingly  dry 
brush  transfers  the  cleanest  and  sharpest  impressions, 
especially  on  thin,  smooth  goods.  Too  much  color  in  the 
brush  gives  a mussy,  ragged  design. 

Fixing  Dyes  on  Velvet. — After  stenciling  with  dyes, 
when  the  dye  is  dry,  lay  a damp  cloth  over  the  top  of  the 
design  (with  fabric  on  the  ironing-board)  and  press 
with  a hot  flatiron.  The  steam  sets  the  dyes,  so  that  it 
stands  washing. 

When  stenciling  on  velvet  and  velours,  which  have  a 
long  nap,  do  not  use  a stencil  brush  and  the  hammer 
stroke  as  with  other  fabrics.  It  roughs  up  the  nap  too 
much.  Put  the  color  on  with  a small  artist ’s  brush,  using 
careful,  smooth  strokes  as  when  painting  any  surface. 
Before  stenciling,  wet  the  surface  of  the  cloth  and  let  dry, 
to  lay  the  nap  flat.  It  can  be  brushed  up  again  after 
pressing  to  set  the  dye  color  fast. 

It  is  best  to  stencil  all  fabrics  with  as  few  strokes  of 
the  brush  as  possible,  so  as  to  avoid  roughing  up  and 
pulling  out  the  fiber  threads. 

When  your  color  runs  on  smooth  fabrics,  even  though 
little  color  has  been  taken  into  tlie  brush,  the  color  is 
setting  too  slowly.  Add  a little  more  japan. 

Two  or  more  colors  may  be  used  on  fabrics,  witli  a 
plate  and  brush  for  each  color  as  on  walls.  The  color 


138 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


may  also  be  shaded  by  brushing  some  places  longer  than 
others. 

Always  hold  the  stencil  plate  down  with  one  hand 
while  working  the  brush  with  the  other.  Then  the  fabric 
can  not  move  and  spoil  the  job. 


CHAPTER  VIII 


LINING  AND  STRIPING 

Lining  is  a branch  of  decorating  that  is  indeed  useful. 
It  is  an  accomplishment  that  would  be  gained  by  a larger 
number  of  mechanics  if  they  but  realized  how  easily  it 
can  be  learned  by  anyone  willing  to  practice  diligently 
for  awhile.  Fairly  straight  lines  can  be  made  by  the 
stencil  and  filling-in  method,  but  the  work  done  in  this 
manner  can  never  equal  the  clean-cut  lining  resulting 
from  the  use  of  an  angle  liner  brush,  a yardstick,  and  a 
practiced  hand. 

Lines  of  correct  proportion  and  location  in  a room 
can  be  made  to  supplement  stencil  or  freehand  orna- 
ments, or  the  lines  may  be  the  only  means  of  decorating 
panel,  ceiling,  or  frieze. 

Tools  and  Materials. — Brushes,  called  flat  or  round 
angle  fresco  liners,  made  in  sizes  1/2,  %,  1,  1%  and  IV2 
inches,  for  making  lines  of  these  widths.  Shown  on 
Plate  34. 

A yardstick.  Bevel  or  chamfer  one  edge  with  a plane 
to  make  it  like  a rule.  For  long  lines  a stick 
inches,  4 feet  long,  is  best. 

A chalkline  and  chalk. 

Japan  or  oil  color,  thinned  with  turpentine  a little  to 
brushing  consistency. 

Aluminum,  gold,  copper,  or  other  metal  bronze  pow- 
ders are  used  for  lining  also.  They  should  be  mixed 
with  good  varnish  which  has  been  thinned  with  benzine 
or  turpentine  to  the  consistency  of  linseed  oil,  or  use 
bronzing  liquid  to  thin. 


1.39 


140 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


The  surface  to  be  lined  may  consist  of  almost  any  ma- 
terial, but  ought  to  have  a flat  or  semi-flat  finish. 

Laying  Out  the  Lines. — The  first  thing  to  determine  is 
the  location  of  the  lines.  Measure  and  mark  the  location 
at  each  end  of  a panel,  for  instance,  with  a pencil.  Then 
chalk  your  line.  Fasten  one  end  over  the  upper  mark, 
or  have  a helper  hold  it.  Place  the  other  end  of  the 
line  over  and  against  the  lower  mark,  and  draw  the  line 
taut.  With  the  hand  that  is  free  pick  up  the  line  as  near 
the  center  of  its  length  as  possible,  and  snap  it  by  let- 
ting go  quickly.  The  line  will  thus  transfer  a light  chalk 
mark  to  the  surface,  which  serves  as  a guide  when  paint- 
ing the  line  in  color.  The  chalk  mark  should  be  snapped 
on  both  sides  of  each  proposed  line  to  be  one-quarter  of 
an  inch  wide  or  wider. 

Another  way,  and  a better  one  for  some  surfaces,  is  to 
mark  out  the  lines  with  a knife,  using  a straightedge  as  a 
guide.  Cut  only  into  the  ground  coats  of  paint  with  a 
paperhanger’s  blade.  Such  a line  can  be  followed  with 
the  lining  fitch,  the  paint  will  run  only  to  the  knife  cut, 
and  a much  sharper,  cleaner  line  will  result  in  less  time 
than  can  be  produced  with  the  ehalkline  method. 

Holding  the  Brush. — Having  the  lines  marked  out  with 
chalk  or  knife,  you  are  ready  to  proceed.  The  next,  and 
perhaps  the  most  important  of  all  points  to  observe,  is 
the  holding  of  the  brush.  Hold  the  extreme  end  of  the 
brush  handle,  between  the  thumb  and  fingerS)  the  thumb 
on  top,  as  in  Plate  34.  It  is  important  to  have  the  brush 
ride  at  the  correct  angle.  It  should  sit  flat  on  the  sur- 
face, not  on  the  point  or  the  heel. 

When  the  brush  has  been  well  worked  into  the  color, 
wipe  it  out  on  the  edge  of  the  pot.  Now  place  the  yard- 
stick on  the  chalk  line,  bevel  edge  next  to  the  wall,  and 
draw  your  line  with  one  long  stroke ; do  not  lift  the 
brush  from  the  wall  until  you  come  to  the  end  of  the 
yardstick.  The  edge  of  your  yardstick,  which  the  brush 


LINING  AND  STRIPING 


Plate  37. — American  Stencil  Designs. 


142 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


follows,  should  not  come  in  contact  with  the  wall,  or  it 
may  smear  paint  on  it. 

Move  the  stick,  letting*  six  inches  of  it  remain  next  to 
the  end  of  the  line  just  completed,  so  that  an  even  start 
can  be  made  on  the  next  section  of  line.  Repeat  until 
the  corner  is  reached,  where  exceeding  care  must  be 
exercised  to  avoid  running  the  line  beyond  the  mark. 
Lines  run  too  far,  or  located  in  error,  are  difficult  to  re- 


move. They  may  be  wiped  clean  with  benzine  or  tur- 
pentine, if  at  all. 

When  the  color  does  not  flow  steadily  and  evenly  from 
the  brush  or  slides  over  the  surface,  it  is  too  thick. 

If  the  color  runs  and  spreads,  add  a little  more  pigment 
color;  it  is  too  thin. 

Your  hands,  the  yardstick,  and  the  brush  handle  must 
be  kept  clean.  When  color  is  allowed  to  crawl  under  the 
yardstick,  you  soon  have  a messy  line  that  is  a disap- 
pointment. 

Take  care  of  your  brushes.  Clean  them  thoroughly 


LINING  AND  STRIPING 


143 


with  benzine,  fill  the  bristles  with  vaseline,  and  lay  away 
flat  where  they  can  keep  their  original  shape. 

In  conclusion,  it  should  be  noted  that  the  tools  and 
method  are  extremely  simple.  The  one  requisite  to  insure 
success  is  to  practice.  Practice  continually,  and  then 
practice  some  more.  You  will  then  surprise  yourself  by 
the  really  fine  work  you  can  turn  out  rapidly. 


WHERE  TO  SECURE  THE  STENCILS  ILLUSTRATED  IN 
THIS  BOOK 

Plate  1— Nos.  811,  812,  1804,  1208,  1209,  1210,  1211, 
1212.  From  H.  Koessing,  1314  Sedgwick  St., 
Chicago,  111. 

Nos.  207,  208,  211,  212,  213,  214,  201.  Prom 
The  Sherwin-Williams  Co.,  Cleveland,  0. 

Plate  2 — No.  1496.  From  H.  Eoessing. 

Nos.  701,  703,  705,  706,  801,  804,  805,  900,  901, 
902,  903,  904,  906.  From  The  Sherwin-Wil- 
liams Co. 

Plate  3— Nos.  601,  602,  402,  403,  405,  407,  409,  300,  306, 
305,  303.  From  The  Sherwin-Williams  Co. 
Plate  4 — No.  171.  Prom  H.  Eoessing,  Chicago. 

Nos.  500,  502,  503,  504,  505,  506,  509,  516. 
From  The  Sherwin-Williams  Co. 

Plate  5 — No.  11.  From  The  Mayhew  Studios,  515  W. 

29th  St.,  New  York,  N.  Y. 

Plate  6 — No.  1542.  From  H.  Eoessing. 

Plate  9 — No.  273.  From  H.  Eoessing. 

Plate  11— Nos.  83,  98,  99,  103,  113,  115,  110,  64-B,  84, 
107.  From  The  Sherwin-Williams  Co. 

Nos.  1009,  1013,  1012.  From  The  Mayhew 
Studios. 


144 


NEW  STENCILS  AND  THEIR  USE 


Nos.  1290,  1289,  1286,  1276,  1267,  1268  and 
1825.  From  H.  Roessing. 

No.  1535.  From  Henry  Bosch  Co.,  525  S.  AVa- 
bash  Ave.,  Chicago,  111. 

Plate  12 — Nos.  1593  and  1598.  From  Henry  Bosch  Co. 

Nos.  52,  53,  54,  55,  56,  57,  58,  59,  60,  61,  62,  63, 
75,  76,  77,  79,  80,  81,  82.  From  The  Sherwin- 
Williams  Co. 

Plate  14 — Nos.  1823  and  649.  From  H.  Roessing. 

Plate  17 — No.  1730.  From  H.  Roessing. 

Plate  28 — No.  649.  From  H.  Roessing. 

Plate  37 — Nos.  707  and  209.  From  The  Mayhew  Studios. 

Nos.  1192,  1481,  630,  931,  932.  From  H.  Roes- 
sing. 


INDEX 


PAGE 


PAGE 


Abuse  of  stencils 14 

All-over  stencils 14,  23 

American  stencil  designs ...  14 

Angle  liner  brushes 132 

Appropriate  designs  29 

Arabian  designs 13 


Background  stencils  ...  .17,  18 

Balance  of  stencils 34 

Band  stencils  28 

Baseboard  105 

Bedroom  decoration 26 

Blacks  63 

Blues 63 

Border  treatment 103 

Brightening  jewel  points.  . . 97 

Bronze,  metal,  stenciling 

with 94 

powders 94 

Browns 63 

Brush,  stencil,  how  to  use ...  90 

holding  the 140 

Brushes,  stencil 53,  92 

fitches  100 

angle  liner 132 

flat  angle 139 

round  angle 139 

Calcimine,  stenciling  on.  . . . 93 

Candlestick  design  31 

Ceiling  color,  selection  of.  . .126 

Ceiling  decoration  of  thea- 
ter   112 

of  studio  118 

Ceilings,  low,  treatment  of 

rooms  with  106,  109 

high,  treatment  of  rooms 

wdth  108 

designs  for  128 

Ceiling  stencils  126 

14.5 


Chalkline,  use  of 85,  88 

Chalklined  wall 25 

Changing  apparent  size  of 

room  105 

Child’s  bedroom  decoration.  30 

Classic  designs  10-16 

Classification  of  stencils.  .15,  17 

Cloth,  stenciling  on 135 

Coating  ordinary  paper....  38 

Color  and  form 32 

Color  formulae 68 

harmony 61 

management 58 

names  indefinite 68 

schemes 66 

sense,  cultivation  of 57 

suggestions  for  floors 134 

variations  of 62 

Colors  and  color  harmony ..  . 57 

Color  stencils 22 

making  of 46 

Colors  used  in  stenciling.  ...  93 
Colors,  points  to  remember.  . 61 

decorators’  special  63 

permanent  65 

fairly  permanent  65 

fugitive 65 

permanence  of  64 

mixing  93 

for  filling  in 99 

for  floor  stencils 131 

for  stenciling  on  cloth.  . . . 135 

Comi)licated  designs 52 

Conventionalized  designs.  . . 37 

nature 14 

Conventionalizing 36 

Co[)ying  designs  from  a book  39 

Corners,  how  to  turn 97 

Cove  mould  105 

Curves,  drawing  39 


146 


INDEX 


PAGE 

Cutting  the  stencil 54 

relief  stencils  55 

Dado  105 

Dealers,  stencil 32,  143 

Decorators'  oil  colors 63 

Delicate  colors 59 

Designing  stencils  33 

Designs,  stencil 15 

classic  or  formal 10-16 

Greek 10,  21 

Roman  12 

Renaissance  12 

Moorish  12 

Arabian  13 

Persian  13 

Egyptian  13 

Gothic 16 

Oriental  16 

English 133 

French  136 

American  141 

Japanese  51,  142 

appropriate  29 

unsuitable  122 

where  to  find 35 

Detached  stencils  28 

Diaper  stencils  14,  23 

Dining-room  stencils  31 

Dividers  103 

Double  stenciling  21 

Drawing  the  design 38,  40 

Egyptian  designs 13 

English  stencil  designs 133 

Enlarging  size  of  design...  41 

Fabric  stenciling  135 

Filler  for  floors 130 

Filling  105 

Filling  in  color 99 

stencils  101 

Fish  and  game  designs 29 

Fitches  100 

Floor  stenciling 129 

Floors,  wax  for 134 

varnish  for  134 

color  suggestions  for 134 


PAGE 

Flowers,  coloring 

. . .101 

Form  and  color 

. . . 32 

Formal  designs  for  stencils . . 

10,  12, 

13,  16 

Formulae,  color  

. . . 68 

French  stencil  designs.  . . 

. . .136 

Fresco  liners 

. . . 139 

Frets,  Greek,  

. . . 10 

Frieze  

. . .105 

Fruit,  coloring 

. . .101 

Fugitive  colors 

. . . 65 

Game  and  fish  designs.  . 

. . . 29 

Gelatine  mixture 

. . . 91 

Glazing,  wall 

. . . 19 

Good  jobs  illustrated... 

. . .Ill 

Gothic  designs 

. . . 16 

Grapevine  design  

Greek  frets  or  keys 

.10,  21 

Greens 

. ..  63 

Guide  marks  and  keys. 23, 

, 45,  47 

Harmony,  color  

...61 

by  analogy 

. . . 61 

by  contrast  

. . . 62 

Harsh  colors  

High-lighting  

. . . 103 

Home  decoration,  use  of  sten- 

cils  in  

. . 9 

How  to  transfer  the  stencil.  89 

Hue 

. . . 62 

Japanese  stencils r 

51.  142 

Jewel  points 

. . . 94 

brightening  

...97 

Key,  Greek  

10,  21 

Keys,  register  45 

Lakes  63 

Large  rooms,  stencils  for...  108 

Laurel-leaf  designs  121 

Laying-out  for  stencils.  . .85,  87 

Laying  out  lines 140 

Leaf,  metal,  stenciling  with.  96 

Lily,  natural  37 

conventionalized  37 

pond,  border  100 


I^DEX 


147 


PAGE 

Liners,  angle 132 

fresco  139 

Lines,  laying  out 140 

Lining  128,  132 

Lining  and  striping 139 

tools  and  materials.  .....  139 
Locating  ties 48 

Mantels,  treatment  of 89 

Maple-leaf  effects  124 

Masks  for  stencil  plates.  ...  91 

Materials  for  stencils 37 

Metal  stencil  ties 52 

Miter  corners,  how  to 

turn  95,  98 

Mixing  stencil  colors 93 

Moorish  designs  ' 12 

Moving-picture  theater  ceil- 
ing   Ill 

Nursery  stencils  30 

Oil  colors,  decorators’ 62 

One-color  stencils,  ordi- 
nary   17,  18 

Oriental  designs  16 

Outline  stencils  19,  20 

filling  in 99 

Panel  ideas  120 

Paneling,  suggestive  123 

Pantagraph,  use  of 41,  42 

Paper,  stencil 37,  54 

stenciling  on  94 

Permanence  of  colors 64 

Persian  designs  13 

Photograph  studio  stencils.  .116 

Picture  mould  105 

Plate  rail 105 

Pond-lily  border 100 

Peds  63 

Keducing  size  of  design.  ...  41 
Registering  color  stencils..  47 

Register  keys 45 

Relief  stencils 55 

composition  for  56 

cutting  55 

materials  for  55 


PAGE 

placing  on  wall 56 

Renaissance  designs 12 

Roman  designs  12 

Rooms,  apparent  change  of 

size  of 105 

Rose  designs 37 

Scale  39 

use  of  the 43 

Selection  of  stencils 15 

Shade  62 

Shading  102 

Single-spot  patterns. . . .26,  127 

Size  of  stencil 84 

Small  rooms,  stencils  for...  106 

Soft  colors 59 

Spacing  stencils 85,  87 

Special  decorator ’s  colors ...  63 

Sponge,  use  of  the 92 

Spot  designs  for  panels, 

etc 94,  95 

Spot  stencils 26 

Square  method  of  enlarging 

or  reducing  size 42 

Stencil  colors  for  bedrooms.  67 

for  dining  rooms 67 

for  living  rooms 67 

Stencil  design,  choosing  a..  28 
Stencil  designs,  classic.  ..  10-16 

American  141 

English 133 

French  136 

Japanese 142 

Stencil  paper 37 

making  33 

plates 18 

size  of 84 

Stencils,  use  of 9 

abuse  of 14 

all-over  14,  23 

appropriate 29,  110 

background 17,  18 

balance  of 34 

band  or  border 28 

bedroom  26 

classic  design  for 

10,  12,  13,  16 

classification  of 15,  17 


148 


INDEX 


PAGE 

color  22 

colors  for 93 

dealers  in 32 

designing  of 33 

detached 28 

diaper  14,  23 

dining-room 31 

English  133 

filling  in 101 

for  ceilings 126 

for  cloth 135 

for  floors  129 

for  large  rooms 108 

for  small  rooms 106 

for  studio  116 

for  theater 112 

for  walls  29 

French 136 

how  to  transfer 89 

Japanese  51,  142 

making  of 33 

materials  for 37 

nursery  30 

one-color 17 

outline  19,  20 

registering , 47 

relief 55 

selection  of 15 

size  of 84 

spot 26 

tie-less 20 

two-color,  making 46 

value  of 9 

when  to  transfer 84 

where  to  use 105 

Stenciling  ceilings.  126 

fabrics  135 

floors 129 

walls  29 

Stores,  use  of  stencils  in...  11 

Striping  139 

floors 130 

Strong  colors 59 

Studio  decoration 116,  119 

Suggestive  paneling.  . .121,  123 

Teapot  design 31 

Theater  decoration Ill 


PAGE 


Theaters,  use  of  stencils  in.  11 

Tie-less  stencils 20 

Ties,  locating 48 

correctly  and  incorrectly 

placed  49 

how  to  place 50 

metal 52 

touching  up 98 

Tiffany  wall  glazing 19 

Tint 62 

Tone  62 

Tools  for  designing 39 

used  in  stenciling 53 

Touching  up  ties 98 

Transfer  of  stencils,  where 

to  begin 89 

how  to  transfer 89 

Triangle  39 

T-square  39 

Turning  corners 97 

Two-color  stenciling  with  one 

plate  47 

stencils,  making 46 

Two-toned  effects 103 

• Unsuitable  designs 122 

Use  of  stencil  decoration.  ...  9 

Value,  use  and  abuse  of 

stencil  decoration 9 

Varnish  for  floors 134 

Velvet,  stenciling  on 137 

fixing  dyes  on 137 

Vermilions  63 

Wainscoting 105 

Wall  sections 25 

Wall  space  trade  names.  . . .105 

Wall  stencils  29 

for  studio  118 

Wax  for  floors 134 

White  64 

Wiping  out  high-lights 102 

Working  operations 81 


Yardstick,  use  of,  in  lining.  . 

132,  U' 

Yellows ‘ 


